17. When You Are Different from Others

You are physically weaker,
You don’t have a stable health,
You are not a business thinker
And you aren’t armed with wealth,

And as a result you don’t live
As you wish or as those who
Are around: they are sportive,
Do such things which you can’t do;

And you aren’t a good-looker…
How to live? What’s to be done?
Don’t turn into a fact-cooker,
Do not hide and do not run.

Realize that you were born too
On this planet as the rest,
You are not a thief and don’t do
Something awful, bulging chest.

And you aren’t a deceiver,
Not a killer, not a snitch,
So you, as a decent liver,
Have the right to live and reach

Your good goals on the current
Where you’re going to succeed
As your health allows and talent
With persistency and heed.

And accept the situation,
Which is ’round you today,
Start to get gratification
From what you have on your way.

And improve your moral standards:
Self-possession, honor, calm,
Self-sufficiency and fairness –
Build some kind of moral realm.

Let objectiveness and wisdom,
Conscience and scientific views
Alongside with inner freedom
Be more frequently in-use.

Try to grow to a role model
To the folks around you,
Don’t allow yourself to quarrel
And fly off the handle, too.

Such activity and efforts
Will imbue your life with verve,
Soothe the nerves and show the methods
How to cut a diamond of

Your self-nature, and embark on
To appreciate your brain
And protect yourself in life from
Any factors causing strain.

Thanks to self-realization
People will respect you and
From this fact your self-conception
Will decisively rise up.

You can learn a foreign language
Or scientific disciplines
To in prospect have the courage
And effective, useful means

To live free, without feeling
That you’re not like everyone:
You have got your own meaning
And the deeds that should be done.

Heed the body life-resources
(You cannot jump over that),
Knowing that there are good sponsors
Helping well on the life path,

It's: your will, insight and prudence,
Tuning on a fine upshot,
Useful skills and resoluteness,
Well, a champion way thought.

When combine all these together
In behavior, you’ll get
The most valuable treasure
By the name of self-respect.

Once and for all drop the practice
To feel shy and give offence
To yourself – you aim for justice
And deserve it surely. Hence

Your available potential
Can be realized in act,
So your being is essential
On this planet, know this fact!