Becoming yourself consciously can be difficult. There is so much you have to give up.
~Hilarion
Many of us think we know who we are. We feel we have a good sense of what defines us. We see ourselves as male or female. We have a federal identification number and proof of identity documents. We are a human unit with our own name, to be specified as separate from all other people, further evidenced by our unique human body.
We identify ourselves by our relationship and family status. We’re a parent, a sibling, a spouse, an offspring. We belong to an age group and have a race identity we use to fill in boxes on forms. We may have an educational or professional title, too.
We define ourselves based on leisure interests like gardening, dancing, or crafts. We may have strong opinions, associating ourselves with political or social causes, and may hold strong religious or philosophical beliefs. We qualify ourselves by our abilities, like science, music, or athletics.
By stating what we are, we imply what we are not. If we’re young, we can’t be old. If we’re good at math, we may not be good at reading and writing. Our self-identity likely is a composite of the many ways we try to distinguish ourselves from others. In defining ourselves, we limit our sense of ourselves. By stating what we are, we imply what we are not. This works fine, as long as we operate in separation consciousness—the belief that we are separate from all other beings and things, as well as from the divine.
But separation consciousness denies the truth of our innate spiritual nature. All consciousness is one and shared (the sharing). Our human selves represent splinters of divine loving consciousness, living in a third-dimensional world, in order to share our experiences with the whole. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
To recognize our true nature and become ourselves consciously, we need to operate outside of separation consciousness. When we give up identifying with all the things that define our separateness—gender, race, age, occupation, family/relationship roles, hobbies, politics, appearance—we are free to recognize ourselves as divine and whole. We need the enhanced understanding of connection consciousness—awareness that we are intrinsically connected with everything else in existence—to be able to experience ourselves fully. By being willing to lose who we think we are, we gain infinite potential.
Let’s spend a few minutes our sharing within to recognize our true divine nature. We’ll start by using breath and a light visualization to make conscious connection. As we let our breath slow and become regular and gentle, we will picture our sharing within as an orb of golden light in the center of our heart region. Inhalation feeds the light, making it strong and bright. Exhalation distributes the light throughout our body and surroundings. With every breath in and out, we bless ourselves and our world with conscious love. We’ll continue the visualization until we feel calm, centered, and sure—signs of conscious connection with the divine within us.
We’ll think of all the ways in which we distinguish ourselves from others—age, sex, race, relationships, interests, profession, belief system—and let the light dissolve them one by one. We will pare away at our identity until there is nothing but the golden light left. We will breathe this light in and out, feeling the serenity and completion of being nothing but conscious love. In loving light, all are equal and divine, perfect and whole. This is our true nature: shared divinity with all creation.
Divinely unique and beautiful reader, what part of your everyday identity is hardest to give up? Please share…