I have learned to listen to an inner voice of Knowing which comes from the heart, not from the head. Sometimes it’s quite easy to hear what the heart says: if it brings tears to my eyes or makes me cry, it’s the heart (there’s no way my intellect can trigger such deep feelings). If something makes the hair on my arms stand up, I pay attention to that too, because I can’t make that happen consciously. The way I see it, what my heart says is essential to the understanding of “who I am.”
If asked “who are you?” I could offer many answers from the logical/egoic side (“I am a human male. I am a homeowner. I am a retired engineer.”). But those are stories, made up from the materialistic viewpoint or to fit a social narrative. There is much more to me than those temporary characteristics.
Here’s some of what I Know:
- There is a divine purpose and a sacred exquisite beauty inherent in the physical universe
- There are no accidents; serendipity (divine coincidence) is real
- Fear arises from identification with the body
- I’m not my body
- I’m not a victim of anything, ever
- I am loved, unconditionally, forever, beyond space and time
- Love, somehow, is the fundamental driving force of consciousness and of physical existence
- My thoughts define my experience in this world
- The only thing that is real is what is now: past and future are constructs of the mind
- If you really want to touch “reality” though, it is that which is beyond space and time: the eternal
- To understand myself and to explore fully the question “who am I?,” I recommend you study the ego
- There is a higher power, or “vast intelligence of the universe” as Eckhart Tolle put it
- My heart sings a joyful song when an old psychic wound is healed, or when animosity or divisiveness yields to forgiveness and connection
- Every living being is precious and has a right to thrive; diversity is to be cherished
- I am grateful beyond words for my life and for the opportunity to be alive at this time
- I weep for the inhumanity, injustice, cruelty, and greed I see in the world; I try to respond by renewing a vision of a world in which everyone gets along with one another with love, support and respect, each contributing in their own unique way to an abundant and joyful world community, free from fear and material lack
- Music can reach a deep part of my soul; I’m grateful for all the musicians of the world and their creative contributions
Note that I’m not claiming to be “enlightened.” Of course, I do identify with my body! I’m not fearless yet. Anyway, I’ll explore some of these topics here.