Sometimes I forget who I am
The human mind is a funny thing… it has the ability to create our whole reality.
What I am talking about is the ability of our ego to construct a world view, or you could say a vision of reality which is completely imagined and is not based on our actual surroundings in the present moment.
Have you ever found yourself spending a few moments in a morning wondering or pondering what might unfold in the coming day, weeks, months, or years… Have you ever felt a feeling of dread, anxiety our ominous doom starting to surface?
Our ego (in a bid to keep us safe) will often automatically throw up visions of the future and imagine possible struggles and/or negative outcomes to help us plan for these things not to happen.
The easiest strategy the ego offers in these cases is to simply do nothing. I mean literally, do nothing.
If we do not push the boundaries of experience, then we do not run the risk of failure or challenge. The sad fact of this is that we also have denied ourselves the opportunity for success.
All Consuming
There are times when I have become aware of myself being sucked in to this vortex of the ego’s imaginary reality. I personally, am prone to this happening in the morning just after waking. This could be that as my mind is transitioning from the sleepy world of dreaming and unconscious reality to the world of the present moment and waking reality, I am more open to the whisper of my foreman (the voice of the ego).
The cycle is broken by taking a moment to breathe.
Breathe and feel the air slowly fill and then leave my lungs. Breathe and feel the oxygen permeating my body.
There is another way though…
The Man in the Mirror
Like most people I have a few mirrors dotted around the house, and it is easy to catch a glimpse of myself as I move around.
In the times when I am being sucked in to the vortex, I find that the mirror offers me a reflection in to the present moment.
There have even been times when my mind has been spiralling, that when I first look in to the mirror, I don’t recognise the person looking back at me. This might sound a little strange, but the ability of our mind to construct an imagined reality and false perception of ourselves is powerful.
We can grab hold of our definition of me and begin to think that we embody it.
When we then look in the mirror, we find that the person looking back (you in the present moment) is actually a different person to the one you have been imagining in your mind.
Your imagined definition of you is based on your past memories and visions of the future.
The person staring back at you is the person you are right now in the present moment.
Finding a Friend
In this moment of realisation which brings us back to the present moment, I have found both comfort and relief.
I see the man in the mirror and know that I can trust him to do what needs to be done regardless of the situation. I see the man in the mirror and I feel compassion for him and love. I see the man in the mirror and he makes me proud.
I am the man in the mirror.
Looking in to my own eyes I can see the depth of the whole universe and the limitless possibilities that are available.
I am my own best friend, and worst enemy.
I am my rock and my saviour.
Everything that I ever need and want, I already have within me.
Reflection
Writing a blog like this can almost feel hypocritical at times when I find myself facing struggles and falling prey to my Ego. I am however only human and I am learning all of the time.
I share this insight with you in the hope that you can feel that you are not alone in your struggles.
I am however, grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn what I have learnt on my life path to this moment.
It is this learning and development of myself that enables me to look in the eye of the man in the mirror and know that I am him.
Throughout the mountain pathway I have shared insights, tools, and tips that can help you do the same.
Having struggles it not a problem, that is the nature of life.
Not learning from our struggles and equipping ourselves with the skills to overcome them is a problem.
It is a problem that you have the choice and power to solve.
Enjoy, for now.
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