“Who are you?”
This may be the most meaningful “Fresh Inspiration” post I write all year for readers and spiritual seekers, transforming thought from erroneous, limiting, preconceived beliefs and conceptions to a deeper understanding of one’s true identity.
For those who have read the children’s classic “Alice in Wonderland,” or have seen one of its many adaptations, the line, “Who are you?” will be familiar. A caterpillar sitting on a huge mushroom that Alice encounters during her adventures perplexes her with that query. Alice doesn’t know how to answer—she thought she knew who she was that morning, now she is not so sure; the events of the day have confused her sense of identity. I believe we can all relate to Alice’s challenges as she attempts to navigate a treacherous journey “down the rabbit hole” of darkness and confusion.
From the day we enter this earthly experience we are trying to determine who we are, what we are, and what our place is in this world, in this universe. From our very first moments our senses are on high alert and we begin the lifelong interpretation of what we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. Soon we will start examining our human bodies, turning our little hands before our eyes and tasting our little toes. How our basic demands are met by those entrusted with our care forms the beginning of our sense of self. Eventually, people start telling us who we are, and this is crucial—much of what we are told may not be in line with Truth.
As discussed in last week’s post, each of us starts accumulating a bunch of labels—generally, in relation to others. My skin color is different than yours: I am black, you are white. My genitals are different than yours: I am male, you are female. And so it begins . . . Tall, short; rotund, thin; blue-eyed, brown-eyed; short legs, long legs—these are physical characteristics that create a unique physical appearance. Then we add labels of temperament: quiet, exuberant; docile, argumentative; etc. But none of these labels—or others that become attached to us—form our true identity. That can only be found as we align our thought and understanding with all facets of God’s true nature, when we comprehend that we are wonderous and perfect reflections and expressions of Soul—and of Source, Truth, Law, Life, Mind, Love, Spirit.
Much of our misconception about ourselves stems from an old theology that has given humankind a conception of God as anthropomorphic, manlike. If the Bible tells us that man is made “in the image and likeness” of God, then God must look like us, right? No, wrong. That great Force of the universe, the Source of all that exists, cannot for an instant be limited by form. God, by whatever name we choose to employ, is expressing all goodness, and unfolding its purpose, throughout all creation—beautifully, perfectly, eternally. When we see that we are that complete, unlimited expression of all qualities of God’s true nature, we turn from the darkness of false beliefs, from a fictitious, counterfeit identity to the fullness of our potential found in that one infinite Light!
Every morning I do affirmative, prayerful work with a card I designed that shows all 8 primal facets of God’s true nature as articulated in the book “One Infinite Light,” along with 10 basic qualities, attributes, and functions for each. I see that as the identity I will seek to align with and express throughout the day. You can see a replica of that card on our website. It, along with a small booklet titled “The Power of Prayer,” is available as PDF downloads when you sign up for our monthly newsletter (which you can opt out of at any time). I encourage you to check it out to determine if it might be useful to you in your spiritual search and study.
http://www.oneinfinitelight.com/a-special-gift.html
This may be the most meaningful “Fresh Inspiration” post I write all year for readers and spiritual seekers, transforming thought from erroneous, limiting, preconceived beliefs and conceptions to a deeper understanding of one’s true identity.
For those who have read the children’s classic “Alice in Wonderland,” or have seen one of its many adaptations, the line, “Who are you?” will be familiar. A caterpillar sitting on a huge mushroom that Alice encounters during her adventures perplexes her with that query. Alice doesn’t know how to answer—she thought she knew who she was that morning, now she is not so sure; the events of the day have confused her sense of identity. I believe we can all relate to Alice’s challenges as she attempts to navigate a treacherous journey “down the rabbit hole” of darkness and confusion.
From the day we enter this earthly experience we are trying to determine who we are, what we are, and what our place is in this world, in this universe. From our very first moments our senses are on high alert and we begin the lifelong interpretation of what we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. Soon we will start examining our human bodies, turning our little hands before our eyes and tasting our little toes. How our basic demands are met by those entrusted with our care forms the beginning of our sense of self. Eventually, people start telling us who we are, and this is crucial—much of what we are told may not be in line with Truth.
As discussed in last week’s post, each of us starts accumulating a bunch of labels—generally, in relation to others. My skin color is different than yours: I am black, you are white. My genitals are different than yours: I am male, you are female. And so it begins . . . Tall, short; rotund, thin; blue-eyed, brown-eyed; short legs, long legs—these are physical characteristics that create a unique physical appearance. Then we add labels of temperament: quiet, exuberant; docile, argumentative; etc. But none of these labels—or others that become attached to us—form our true identity. That can only be found as we align our thought and understanding with all facets of God’s true nature, when we comprehend that we are wonderous and perfect reflections and expressions of Soul—and of Source, Truth, Law, Life, Mind, Love, Spirit.
Much of our misconception about ourselves stems from an old theology that has given humankind a conception of God as anthropomorphic, manlike. If the Bible tells us that man is made “in the image and likeness” of God, then God must look like us, right? No, wrong. That great Force of the universe, the Source of all that exists, cannot for an instant be limited by form. God, by whatever name we choose to employ, is expressing all goodness, and unfolding its purpose, throughout all creation—beautifully, perfectly, eternally. When we see that we are that complete, unlimited expression of all qualities of God’s true nature, we turn from the darkness of false beliefs, from a fictitious, counterfeit identity to the fullness of our potential found in that one infinite Light!
Every morning I do affirmative, prayerful work with a card I designed that shows all 8 primal facets of God’s true nature as articulated in the book “One Infinite Light,” along with 10 basic qualities, attributes, and functions for each. I see that as the identity I will seek to align with and express throughout the day. You can see a replica of that card on our website. It, along with a small booklet titled “The Power of Prayer,” is available as PDF downloads when you sign up for our monthly newsletter (which you can opt out of at any time). I encourage you to check it out to determine if it might be useful to you in your spiritual search and study.
http://www.oneinfinitelight.com/a-special-gift.html
