Who Am I?

So – let us begin with this one deceptively simple question.  Shall we?  Who AM I?

Getting still, and quiet – enough to hear ourselves, to really hear ourselves is a skill that is honed with practice.  Through this practice we arrive at self-knowledge, an ability to connect intimately not only with our true selves, but also and most importantly with our full potential.  An often still, deep and untapped pool – a reservoir of potential.  Of possibility.  Of things about to be; as of yet unseen and unknown, even to ourselves.

Removing oneself from the hustle and bustle, the noise, the myriad distractions constantly vying for our attention.  The numerous distractions that can kill the power of our intention, often before we even realize what that intention might be.  This, yes this, is a skill.  A skill very much worth developing, honing and practicing on a consistent basis.

Taking time for reflection…

Taking time for reflection, self-inquiry and introspection has become to many a lost art.  When is the last time (or even perhaps the first time?) that you sat down, got real still and asked yourself a question OF yourself?  A question designed to take you deeper inside, to that inner landscape rather than the world around you, outside of yourself?  You may be wondering, what could I possibly ask OF myself – what would be the purpose of directing a question inward, toward myself, OF myself?  The answer is surprisingly simple: because you might just be able to hear your inner voice, that intuitive center of yourself actually respond.

Who AM I?  A deceptively simple question.

It speaks to the heart of our very existence, indeed:  who am i?  At my very core, at the very center of my existence?  In that still, deep, perhaps yet untapped pool – beneath the layers, the adornments, the subterfuge.  Subterfuge?  Wait, wait, wait – I’m for real, I’m authentic, I’m not a poser! How dare you!  Yes, let me say it again…. beneath the subterfuge.  Who ARE you?

From the moment we emerge…

From the moment that we emerge, from the unmanifest into the manifest world we begin to acquire.  From unborn into our very first feeling, desire, impression – we acquire the accoutrements that begin to define us, that make us who we are.  Automatic patterns of behavior emerge in response to both internal and external stimuli and situations.  We may cry because we are hungry, or we may begin to first sense, and then to become aware, to notice that crying can bring more than just nourishment, it can even work to attract the object of our desire when we are not even hungry.  Our innocence would seemingly preclude the deliberate use of subterfuge, or would it?  The seeds of habit have been sown, the response dictates whether these seeds will actually take root and bear fruit.  We are now once removed from the answer to the deceptively simple question: who am i?  Or, would you consider this instead to be one step closer to the answer?

The point being we begin to identify with roles, with patterns that get our desires, needs and expectations met.  We begin to acquire characteristics, personas that allay our fears, our pain, our hunger.  We become proficient in the subtle yet rewarding patterns that allow us to be comfortable.

So, take some time for yourself, get still and quiet – and then ask yourself:  Who AM I? Keep at it, the answers may surprise you.  Or, they may invite further reflection.  This is the Journey, the Journey of a lifetime!

Still not sure exactly how?  Does this method of inquiry feel awkward and unnatural?  The Journey daunting?  Then just take the first step!

What are you waiting for?  I would be so happy to guide you along the path, through this art of self-inquiry.

And so the journey begins!

In the words of author and holistic educator Eric Micha’el Leventhal:

“The closer you come to knowing that you alone create the world of your experience, the more vital it becomes for you to discover just who is doing the creating.”