Who is driving the car of your life?
Identity, learned self vs sacred self
Identity: The distinguishing character or personality of an individual. The relation established by psychological identification.
Our self-image/learned-self or identity is the filter through with we view the world. It guides our perceptions and decides the roles we play in our work, relationships and with the world in general. It is our internal humanness advisor. This part of self is fiercely protective for its survival and therefore we often don’t act as our authentic or sacred self.
This is the self that we came to learn from outside experiences and input. The interactions with our family from a young age, the expectations from teachers and peers, the way we look at ourselves when we think of who we are. We are clumsy or graceful, we are rich or poor, smart or pretty, fit or unhealthy. It is the stories we have come to believe about ourselves told by others and our perceptions of outside circumstances. Our actions, beliefs, feelings, and even our abilities are dictated by our learned self. This learned self has written a story of our life, designed costumes and auditioned a cast, we simply read along each day acting as if it is true.
Our sacred self, hmmm doesn’t that sound wonderful and slightly out of reach? Our sacred self is the self that God made, this is how the Universe sees us. This is who we are in our heart and through our connection to spirit. This is our super powers and what we long to contribute to the world and ourselves. Behind the mask and the roles we play in our daily lives there is the self we were born as.
This self is whole, complete and perfect just as you are.
Let me repeat that… you are whole, complete and perfect just as you are!
The learned self will work very hard to have us believe we are none of these things, but need work, and help and more stuff to complete us.
How do we recognize this sacred self? This is who we are when we are not judging ourselves, when we are quiet and reflective, when we are in appreciation and in moments of love.
Our learned self is often about the future, we want to be healthy so we need to work out. We want to be successful but we need to learn more now, we want to be in love so we are searching for our partner. It is always a destination, and no matter how long we work at it, that destination doesn’t seem to get closer.
Our sacred self is about now, in this moment. I am love, I am well, I am contribution.
The inquiry into our sacred self is the question, who am I?
Who am I when I am not trying to be somebody?
Who am I when I am not trying to be a success?
Who am I when I am not judging myself?
Who am I when I am not a mother, brother, friend, employee?
Who am I without a title?
Another inquiry into the distinction between our learned self and our sacred self is the question, What do I want?
Depending on your history, beliefs and circumstances you may answer as a consumer with a shopping list of things or objects. You may answer as an adventurer with a list of places to go or as a student with a list of things to learn.
This gives us insight into the who you are as a learned self.
Now, take a deep breath and sit with the same question, What do I want? And come from your sacred self. Is there anything to want? Is it a thing, circumstance or an expression of who you are?
Our sacred self is an expression of who we are BEING.
SACRED = BEING
LEARNED = DOING