Know yourself, and have the strength to pursue your life based off of that knowledge.

"Do you want Issa to play soccer?" "Do you wish that Issa becomes a lawyer?" "Are you going to teach him the Piano?"

Friends and acquaintances ask me questions like these often, about my young son Issa. 

The questions prompted me to think about, what DO I want for Issa?

Here's my answer: I want him to (A) know himself, and (B) have the strength of character to pursue his life based on that knowledge.

Everything else -- whether he plays soccer, tennis, piano, or nothing; whether he becomes a doctor, lawyer, artist, traveler -- are details; wholly insignificant to the main thing that matters.

We didn't think of this when we picked the name Issa -- but his Kanji (Japanese) characters of 稜善 mean straightforward, resolute, serious in pursuit of good. 

I guess, it all worked out 💛