Piece by piece, we reclaim our lives as we discover the essence of who we are. And bit by bit, we move more of our deepest potential in our lives with each action taken to support it. As we navigate this path to our deepest potential, one might ask, who am I? Though, I’ve found this to be a tough question for many of us to answer.
We may be one that can rattle off a list of I AM’s. At the core of this person they may be true. But, do they feel the truth of these statements in their bones When they speak who they are into the world, does it send chills through their body?
Or, does it feel like a mental exercise equivalent to saying I’m Einstein, even though the facts of my life say otherwise?
If you feel that connected, fantastic. If not, that’s okay, too. That connection comes as we become more aware of our bodies, minds, and the way they respond to our speaking of Truth. Further, many of us have lived the majority of our lives from our head, mostly disconnected with the experience of our bodies. Unless something is wrong, or it’s not doing what we want it to do.
Which makes perfect sense why it can feel challenging to find truth in words we rattle off that sound like a good idea in theory, but may not capture our true essence at the level of feeling. Often, where we begin is to walk this path for awhile discovering who we are not, which allows who we are to emerge.
It is in our nature to use trial and error to find our way. Or, to find most anything of intrinsic value. Guided by our Inner Teacher(s) — we stumble, fall, climb, sit, stand, and collide. All in the name of finding our way. We do this when we are on the path of finding out who we are and meant to be.
When we deliberately follow this path, feelings of strength and centeredness become grounded within us. We, as well, stumble, fall, climb, sit, stand and collide on our way to be right. Prove ourselves. Build a reputation. And navigate our existence.
The challenge being that in this latter example, if we are not grounded in the former, we are on shaky foundations. Shifting public and family opinion has the potential to send us into a tale spin. Especially when we rely on external means to feel centered in our lives. Coming to know ourselves is an ongoing process, and is often challenging, to say the least.
And that’s okay. If you find yourself right now trying to state your claim to who you are at your core, and it feels to come up empty. Start at a different angle.
Start by becoming clearer on who you are not.
Who you never were.
Who you are no longer.
And from that, you may be able to move into answering:
What’s the way of being in the world that could become my norm?
Walk with these questions for a bit. Allow yourself to listen to the feelings and the thoughts that arise. Because we will experience our greatest potential as a feeling, not through any one or series of thoughts.
Take notes.
See what emerges.
Be well,
Matt
