Who are you?

Every once in a while, when I look myself in my eyes in the mirror, I ask myself: “Who are you?”

I have a pretty good understanding of who I am not…

I am not who I used to be.

I am not necessarily what others think of me or who others think I am.

I may not be all that I can be.

Then there are a couple of things I feel I do know about myself:

I am filled with potential that is unfolding.

I am walking my own path — even if I take a detour or two.

I am learning from my experiences, I am changing and evolving.

So, in asking myself the question “Who are you?”, I am not necessarily looking for any precise answer. I am more interested in where I stand in life at this point in time. In where I have been and where I am heading on my personal path. And on the steps I can take right now in order to get there.

In all reality, when we ask ourselves that question, there are many answers. Which answer comes up depends upon the perspective it was asked from; the aspect of ourselves we are looking at. 

Therefore the answer will be different when we are looking at our reality selves, our core selves — chances are the answer will have a more spiritual slant to it — than it will be in light of how we present ourselves to the world around us. Observing the passionate sides of ourselves may give yet a different answer.

After all, we are all multi-faceted human beings that have all the potential we may ever wish for, and have a lot to offer to the world.

The caveat in being multi-faceted is — and this is where the question “Who are you?” comes in — is that we find ourselves stuck on only one or two of the many facets we are. That we only see what we are doing right now, and allowing ourselves to be defined by those tasks.

As soon as this happens, we loose sight of all the other sides of ourselves that are also there — although perhaps we are not quite so actively involved in them right now. And pretty soon we may not even dare to look at who we can be; at what lies beyond.

At all the potential we are yet to discover about ourselves.

Therefore I think it is a good thing to ask ourselves every once a while: “Who are you?” and to let ourselves be surprised at the answer that comes up from the very depths of our being.

First published in 2016

Pondering

Over the last year the Universe most certainly has given me enough time to reflect on life. To discover more of who I am, to know better where I stand, and to see more clearly where the path that is opening up in front of me is leading.

And finally — yes it really has taken me a year — I am starting to appreciate this great gift!

It has only been over the past couple of weeks that I find myself in a position of discernment as to what things that are happening in the world, and what situations that I am encountering in my life agree with my true values, and which are not.

And so, I have found myself on an inner journey. A journey that is bringing me closer and closer to an experience of authenticity I had not been aware of until now.

This journey has prompted me to get more acquainted with my roots — my ancestral roots, my cultural roots, and even, to a certain extend, humanities roots. It has brought up the age-old question where we are coming from and where we are going. Yet less philosophical and perhaps more to the point from a day-to-day perspective, this journey is inviting me to revisit my personal value system.

In other words, what are the things that are truly important to me, and what are things that I may have been taught, yet that turn out to be of less value to me than it would have been to my parents, and even grandparents.

For example, I was brought up that you always will finish what you have started. It was one of those “rules” my parents lived by. But is it as important to me at this point of my path?

And I am finding that this particular “value” is not. The thing is that I also find it is more difficult to let go of it than I would have thought…

On the other hand, both my parents really worked at carving a life out for themselves in which they went for their wishes and desires — even when they encountered lots of opposition from their parents in doing so… And this persistence in reaching their goals that they had, I do relate to at this point in my life.

And then there is the situation in the world of today…

It brings up questions like do I agree with what is happening? Or not so much? And either way, am I going to voice my opinion openly and loudly, or chose to approach it from a more personal, even an inner perspective? 

If I would do the latter, the questions that come up is what does this mean to me in my personal life? And what does it show me about my authentic self?

After all, the fact that we are part of humanity at this point in time means that there is something to be gained for us, just as much as that we have something to bring to the table that will help those that are around us, as well as humanity on a larger scale…

So, do I go along with something that I do not exactly agree with, “for the good of all”? Or will I walk my path according to my value system and trust that this will turn out to be helpful to those around me?

The answers to that one question will be extremely personal, and depending on the situation, on what is at stake, and many, many other aspects that are at play at that very moment.

And because the answers are so individual, there can be no right or wrong answer. 

The one constant, however, is that we need to respect the choices the other person is making, as we neither know the full extend of their situation, nor how that is interacting with their value system…

And as I am pondering all of this, yes, I do appreciate the time I have been given for this process as a great gift!

A New Melody

Even though the pandemic seems far from over, and out thoughts may seem more focused on how we can healthy ourselves, right now — rather than looking at our personal path through life, or setting new goals; or even embarking upon new adventures… There does seem to be a new melody emerging…

Have you noticed that as well? That there seems to be a new vibration, perhaps even a new rhythm to the energy? 

Very subtly changes seem to be creeping in ~ pushing aside the old and bringing the new forward.

Suddenly, without even thinking twice about it, we may find ourselves making decisions that we have been pushing aside for a long time. Or we start being more active, or perhaps taking more time to smell the roses. It is almost as if these changes come from a place deep down inside ourselves with hardly any logical thought involved at all.

And bit by bit as we allow these changes to take place, we are building a new structure for ourselves. We are permitting a new rhythm to emerge. A new rhythm to do our chores, a new rhythm to do our job, a new rhythm to our times of rest. In short a new rhythm to our lives! And that new rhythm sets us up to do new things ~ perhaps even the things we always wanted to do (but never did).

As it is with changes in energy ~ it is up to us how we handle them. Whether we jump in with both feet and enjoy the new energies as a new adventure on our path. Or whether we fight the changes until we can no longer deny them and have to deal with them one way or another.

So, some may heave a sigh of relief that this new rhythm is finally here, while to others it feels like an upset to their energies, to their lives as ever so steadily the newness takes over and perhaps even demands newness in us.

New lines of thought. New directions. New ways of life.

Chances are these changes are here to stay and it is up to us to feel their vibration, to notice their rhythm and to find the melody that bridges that rhythm to our personal lives and our individual paths...

That new melody may well be written in a new scale, and therefore be dis-harmonic to our ears at first. After a while though, when the new rhythm and new melody merge more fully ~ we may find ourselves dancing a new dance.

Getting used to the new melody and the new dance, we may step on some toes... In return we may find that others as they are getting used to their new melodies, trample our toes...

Yet pretty soon we will get the hang of it and can fully enjoy the freedom of this new music and the new dance.

I can feel the new vibration, the new rhythm...

And I am listening for that new melody…

First published in June 2013.