If you want to serve me...

Today while talking with a teacher candidate who hasn't spent much time working directly with children or teens, I blended an old friend of an aphorism with a truism.

Original Aphorism (from the wall of the camp Edenwood of ARC fame): 

"If you want to serve me, get to know who I am."

Original Truism (from everyone I've ever known, it seems):

"The first step is to take your own inventory."

New Aphorism:

If you want to serve me, get to know who I am.

If you want to serve me, get to know who you are.

Alternate phrasing:

If you want to serve me, first get to know who you are.  Then get to know who I am.