“Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Kabir – The couplet
हेत प्रीत सुन जो मिले, ता को मिलिए धाय।
अंतर राखे जो मिले, तासे मिले बलाय॥
transliterated:
Het preet sun jo mile, taa ko miliye dhaaye |
Antar raakhe jo mile, taase mile balaaye ||
Translation:
If someone approaches you with genuine love and affection, run to meet them |
But if someone meets you while hiding distance or inner barriers, you’ll only receive harm ||
My understanding:
Kabir, in his timeless wisdom, urges us to recognize authentic affection when it appears — to run toward those who offer love freely, with no conditions, no masks. In contrast, he warns against those who keep emotional distance or hide their true selves — their presence brings harm, confusion, or dissonance.
Oprah echoes this centuries later, reminding us that our circle should be composed of those who elevate us, who meet us with genuine presence and care.
But there’s another dimension here — one not just about others, but about ourselves.
We must not only seek authenticity in others — we must become it.
When we present love but hold back pain…
When we smile outside but ache inside…
When our actions are polished but our inner world is crumbling…
—we create a split in the soul.
This inner-outer mismatch becomes a wound. And no amount of external effort, success, or social applause can mend it. It breeds exhaustion, anxiety, and a slow erosion of our spirit. We begin to live divided.
But healing begins the moment we acknowledge the split — and dare to live in truth. When our emotions are an honest reflection of our inner state, when we speak with the voice of our true self and not the voice we think others want to hear — we begin to unify.
And that unity is sacred.
To give and receive true love, we must first be at peace within. Otherwise, even the most genuine affection may feel threatening, or false, or too good to be true.
Kabir and Oprah, together, teach us this:
Surround yourself with genuine souls. But more importantly, be one.
Let your inner light match your outer glow. Let your truth meet the world unfiltered.