"He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.

He who understands how to fight in accordance with the strength of antagonistic forces will be victorious.

He whose ranks are united in purpose will be victorious.

He who is well prepared and lies in wait for an enemy who is not well prepared will be victorious.

He whose generals are able and not interfered with by the sovereign will be victorious.

It is in these five matters that the way to victory is known.

Therefore, I say: Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle." - Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Gabriel,

Do you know yourself? Do you know the powers of comprehension and understanding? Do you know what is it that you need to be happy? If you do not know yourself, you will not be able to live life to its fullest. But before you get to know yourself, it's important that you learn a few of the essential things to achieve peace of mind: comprehension, understanding and knowledge of the situation.

Gabriel, there is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.

You know Gabriel, when you go visit your grandmother and she doesn't do anything other than please you; she buys you things and you feel bad because you think she spent too much with you; she spends her hours planning what to cook for lunch and dinner, and she only cooks what you like; whenever you want something, from the simplest to the most complicated, she offers herself to do it for you; you know Gabriel, that's what makes her happy, so why do you feel bad? Are you afraid that you do not show her enough love? Don't be afraid, son. Some people aren't good at expressing their love. But if you just let your grandmother be herself and do what she likes, she will be pleased. Understand this, there is nothing you can do. And her aversion for cigarettes and drinks; that really irritates you, right? Understand that too. You are not forbidden to do that, but do that far from your grandmother. She comes from a different generation, and she's already old. You are young. You are the one bounded to adaptation. And adaptation only comes with understanding. Understanding comes with patience. Because patience is the road to understanding, which is the key to a happy heart.

When I was about your age, long, long ago, I found out my best friend was gay, and that really shocked me. I did not want to be his friend anymore. One day, I was walking down the street telling someone his secrets, and the city's priest happened to hear what I was saying. He came to me and said: "If he is gay - he doesn't need your judgment, young man. The Lord above will be the one to judge him as he will judge all of us. What he needs from you and me and everyone else in this world is love and tolerance. If anything, that boy must feel scared and alone and it will take the understanding of his fellow man to help him through. Let's save judgment for someone much more experienced than you." Tolerance is a key to understanding. And love is a key to everything.

To know yourself, you have to keep in mind that you are God. God lives inside you. It is the power of your subconscient, which is in contact with every single thing in the universe. God doesn't move us by telling us the facts. He moves us by pains and contradictions. He's given us a lack of understanding: not answers, but questions. But, since you are your own God, you can change yourself, your life, your path, you can make your own questions and give your own answers. God is an equation so complex as to utterly defy possibility of comprehension by even the most brilliant human mind. But an equation, nonetheless.

It is quite simple to know yourself. Listen to your heart and to God. Have peace, understanding, comprehension and tolerance inside of you. You are bound to be succesful in life - you only have to wish it. UNDERSTAND it. Look at yourself. Look at your values. Your virtues, your strength. The beauty of your body, the wisdom of your mind and the simplicity of your soul. Do not look at your weaknesses - they are overwhelmed by your strength. Be what you want, be who you are, be what you want to be. But be. Just be.

Truly yours,
Y. H.