Let's make some space for infinity with this one. There's a part of you that exists forever. Your body has an expiration date. Your mind along with it. But your soul. That's forever. It won't die. It wont' leave you. It IS you. So, where is it? Why do I feel like it's hiding? And how do you live from that point?
Where the fuck is it? If I told you to point to you (the real you) where would you point? Your heart? Your head? Your stomach? What if I told you to point to your consciousness? What if I asked you who was looking at this screen right now? Who is listening to the sounds around you? Point to the observer of your experience. I have a secret. This is a trick question. Because your soul does not live in a tiny box inside your heart, or head or anywhere. You are not a body with a soul. You are a soul with a body. Your body just happens to be here with your soul. But your soul is you. It is the complete you. So if I ask you to point to the real you, you could wrap your arms around yourself.
Why was that so hard? Is this answer hiding? It's difficult because we are so conditioned in this physical body. We go through so much of life as this body and this mind. Our mind talks and talks and never runs out of things to say. So, we easily link that to who we are. Then we don't often think of the answer to this question. It seems like such a simple question. Yet it is so complex. We go on with our lives from one thing to the next taking our whole body, mind, and soul with us. But rarely stopping to question who is in.
Who is in? A potent question in three words. Able to topple kings and priests and presidents. You should start asking yourself this frequently. Who is in? Who are you? Because society has raised us to believe we are the experiences and labels that surround us. I am from Delaware. I went to college. I am single. These are just descriptors of our circumstance, and we are so so much more than what happens around our souls. Keep asking who is in to remind yourself that it is not the pieces of you on the outside, or the thoughts and feelings on the inside. It is your essence. The observer of all this life.
Now you're likely wondering how to live from that point. It's all about presents. Sorry... PRESENCE! The first step is figuring out who you really, truly are. You're already on the path because now you understand the real you is your true essence. The next step is learning how to listen to the silence that is you. Learning to quiet the mind and tune out the sensations of the body. Meditation is a huge help in this. Learning to adjust the volume of your never-ending thoughts and stay still help you listen to the silence. Because your soul doesn't speak, it's an observer. So we just learn how to sit back and become the observer.
Once we learn to become the observer (even for just a few minutes at a time at first) then we can feel what it's like to really experience this life! You may think it sounds dull to just observe, but when we can embody the observer everything becomes richer! Every blade of grass is beautiful. Every person is a work of art. Every breath is precious. Life becomes so much more full when we can truly observe.
INSPIRED ACTION: This is a really profound experience. So, find a partner for this one! Sit across from each other and look into each other's eyes. Take turns asking and answering. One partner asks, "who is in?". Then the other replies whatever comes into your mind first. Then the asker asks, "who is in?" again. Respond. Ask. Respond. Ask. Set a times for 5 minutes and remain the asker or the answerer. Then switch. Keep the pace of the questions quick. If the answerer takes too long to answer ask again about every 5 seconds. It's designed to be quick so you stop thinking so much. Let me know how it goes!