Illegitimi non carborundum!

Illegitimi non carborundum is a Latin phrase that means "Don't let the bastards grind you down". Although the term was not actually used when Latin was a common language, it has become a popular catch phrase for those of us that are trying to be optimistic and not let other people get us down. The term "illegitimi non carborundum" was originally coined in World War II, first by the British, then by the U.S., and later by the 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

The word "Carborundum" refers to silicon carbide, an industrial abrasive material. "Illigitimi" refers to the term illegitimate, but not necessarily in a derogatory way. So, traveling back in time to the days when Rome ruled the known world would probably not give you much cause to use the phrase "Illegitimi non carborundum", however it is a LOT of fun to use now. And it seems so appropriate for so many situations that occur on a near daily basis.

Throughout our lives, we are consistently bombarded by negative people who either disagree with our philosophy or just plain don't like us. We really can't let that affect how we feel or act. If we do, then we've just abdicated control of ourselves (the only thing we actually can control) to someone else. We will begin to have an uneasy feeling about our lives and may even start to believe what the other people are projecting on us.

Once we come to believe that we are powerless over other people, things, and situations, we start to realize that it doesn't matter what other people think about us. We can't control how someone thinks or what actions they take, and we should be really grateful for that. God doesn't want control us, but rather insists on granting us free will. So, why would we have a desire to control other people? Perhaps we think we could do a better job than God?

This doesn't mean we need to embrace the negative thoughts, words, and actions of those around us. No, we can summarily choose to not let the bastards get us down - illegitimi non carborundum. And this is an important step in emotional maturity and personal development. It's when we worry more about what we think of ourselves and what God thinks of us than what others think, that we start to be really comfortable in our own skin. We begin to love ourselves as God does.

The challenge for this week is to detach in a healthy way from the negativity of the world and some of those around us and to not let the bastards grind us down - illegitimi non carborundum!