Who Am I?
The path of self-awareness is a series of crippling humiliations where it becomes apparent that the person we thought we are is not who we really are. As we grew up we may not have been allowed to be who we were and became someone else, so we adopted ways of behaving in order to gain approval and acceptance. Later as adults we took on many roles that determined our level of acceptance and place in the world. Yet, much as we may have relished these personas and roles, and identified with them, none defined who we really are. As we get older crises tend to happen where these get stripped away and we can either cling to what was, in desperation, or let go gracefully and in doing so discover the wonder of our True Self.
I am not what I do. But I may do what I am as a way of self-expression.
I am not what I have. To have more does not mean to be more.
I am not my education or lack of it. I cannot get there by degrees.
I am not my body. I only live in it and it deserves my care and respect.
I am not what others think of me. Opinions can change drastically.
I am not my age or appearance. Both of these are continually changing.
I am not someone’s carer. Another’s need does not determine who I am.
I am not someone’s mother or father. These are just temporary roles.
I am not someone’s partner. The other is never my source of identity.
I am not my failures or my successes but am more than them all.
If I am not any of the above then, ‘Who am I’?
While we can name all that we’re not our true identity is always shrouded in mystery and defies definition. It is our divine essence. In the end it simply is and remains the most real thing that there is. Discovering our true identity is to be amazed at the wonder of our own magnificence.