The age-old quest of knowing oneself feels necessary and essential. We think finding out who we are is of upmost importance, and feel incomplete in some way without a story of self. Well, of course we would. The self loves self. It loves the idea of itself. It loves the description and labels. It loves the perpetual possibility of being special, better than yesterday, or the next guy. We end up living our lives in service to building, polishing and enhancing our identity. The good news is, this is all okay, because you are not the self you speak of. You are not the identity you strive to enhance.
Knowing yourself does not include an occupation or a title. It does not entail discovering how hard you can push yourself in the name of resolve, or how often you self-sacrifice in the name of selflessness. It does not mean that you are a “people-person” a “pleaser” a “free spirit” or any other label you could assign. Knowing the self-made identity of the thinking mind in this way is not necessary. The identity is merely a story. This is unconsciousness speaking of itself. This ever-changing story does not define that which you really are.
To know yourself means to learn what makes you feel good inside. It means to become familiar with what “feeling good” feels like to you. It means to learn to discern your feelings and emotions, which are all sign posts pointing toward your highest good. Yes, all of them. It means to discover what it feels like when your heart smiles, or when your gut is aflame with passion for life, for no reason at all.
To know yourself, familiarize the thinking mind with the peace and well-being of what silent Awareness feels like. Remember that happiness is always in the palm of your hand, only to be forgotten in submersion of unnoticed, unexamined thinking. Practice being present in the moment, aware of what you really are, the higher Self, the soul, pure Consciousness. It is in this space you recognize that you are already whole and complete.
Knowing yourself awakens the realization that you are truly loved, and all is as it should be. The process entails one wonderful ah-ha moment at a time. Realizations pave the way to spiritual awakening. When you know yourself, it becomes clear that you came here for fun, and to bring Consciousness into this world.
This human experience is not about building an identity. You are not the artist or the writer. You are not the business man, the daughter, or the friendly or frightened man or woman. You are the Awareness behind these experiences.
Stay awake and present in your life so that you may savor what is designed to be an easy, effortless and enjoyable ride. When we notice thought, and step outside of the ongoing mental commentary, we connect with who we truly are. To know yourself means to know Joy in its pure independent isness. To know yourself is to know Life itself. Welcome home.
Gina Charles writes about authentic living and spiritual awakening with wit and practicality. She is the author and illustrator of, “Shift Happens” and “FUEL Your Life”. Gina is also the author of the Authentic Living Blog, and founder of the New World Apparel dot com. For more, visit: GinaCharles.com.