”To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” ~e.e. cummings

I remember when I was a kid and started learning English, we had to learn how to answer a couple of questions:

Who are you? What are you?

I didn’t understand the difference or the meaning behind the questions. I just memorized the right answers. T

he common way we introduce ourselves include our name, profession, relationship status, race, age or some other description.

All you think you are is impermanent

The labels and roles we identify with are impermanent. They can disappear in the blink of an eye or change over time. We may lose family members, a job, our looks, physical shape, and every material possession.

If you strip all the labels away, who are you then? What is your truth?

Your truth is eternal

The only permanent thing about you is your_ awareness_, the witness that _observe_s every action and experience. It is your eternal connection to all of life.

Your life is an expression of consciousness unlike any other. We are all here to manifest unique experiences and live our truth.

Unfortunately, often times our own true desires and preferences get lost as we try to comply with expectations and fit in within the social norms. We end up acting our lives instead of living them.

The cause of suffering

When you live from the depth of your awareness, you align your actions with your values. You experience joy and peace. The opposite is true. When you do things for outer reasons, you struggle and create suffering for yourself and others.

In an effort to ease our suffering, we waste time and energy questioning our past and blaming our parents for anything that went wrong. We rarely stop to look at our lives right now and see how much of it reflects our true essence.

Genetics influence our experiences.  Our own actions, attitudes and surrounding environment play a much larger part in shaping our experiences.

We have more choices than we realize. Suffering is always optional.

How can you connect with your truth?

In order to start living authentically, we need to become aware of our intentions and motivations.

The questions below might be useful in uncovering part of your truth. Think about the ones that interest you the most. Go with your feelings; listen to your inner voice.

Some of the questions might trigger other questions, write them down and give them attention. You thought about them for a reason.

1. What makes you tick? What experiences bring you true joy (not what you think would make others happy)?
2. Where are you most comfortable? In what environment do you feel safe and relaxed? Do you like to work in a big office or at home? Where would you go on vacation if money and family demands were not an issue? Or would you rather stay home?  Are you more of an indoors or outdoors person?
3. What do you value most? Do you value your relationships, health, work ethic, your job, your peace of mind? What principles guide you (integrity, equality, fairness…etc.)?
4. What would you do differently? If you were to start your life all over again, how would it be different? This is not about regrets, but about making better choices. If our past actions go unobserved or questioned, we tend to repeat the same patterns.
5. What situations trigger anxiety and fears? What makes you nervous and why? What do you fear the most? How does this fear affect your decisions?
6. What experiences in your life are most memorable? Usually we tend to remember the simple, genuine experiences, especially from our childhood.
7. What did your parents tell you about your early childhood? What kind of a child were you? Were you outgoing or shy, funny, a troublemaker? What toys did you play with? What activities did you repeat? These early years provide invaluable insight into your natural state before you were instructed on how to behave and before you started caring about what others think.
8. What is your motivation for taking action? When you do things, why do you do them?  Is it something that brings you joy? Or are you seeking validation and approval? Maybe you’re feeling guilty or under pressure.
9. What upsets or angers you? What upsets us the most usually resonates with what is within us. Take a deeper look at the causes of your anger.
10. What would you do if you were on a deserted island and no one was watching? Assume you are safe and have all your basic needs met. How would you act? We tend to act differently when we know we are being watched.
11. What do you reward yourself with? These are the things you enjoy the most. You need more of these in your life. The answer to this question might be similar to your joys and most memorable experiences.
12. How would you like to describe yourself to others? If you were to tell the truth about yourself to others (for a job interview or a romantic interest or in social gatherings), what would you say? Assume everyone loves  and will appreciate you for who you are.

If you get negative feelings and thoughts, your ego is standing in the way, keep digging. We all have a dark side but it is only a part of us. Your inner most truth is love and light.