Many years ago, I woke up at 4 a.m. and a realization hit me all at once. I got out of bed and wrote this down —
I’m a writer but I’m not really that.
I’m a director of a business but I’m not really that.
I’m a runner but I’m not really that.
I’m a juggler but I’m not really that.
I’m a spirit. I’m the fire. The light. The energy. The music. The magic.
I don’t need to dress myself in any of the disguises above.
So who are you really?
You are not your profession. People change their professions all the time. You are not your body. Your body changes with exercise and age. You are not your mind. Your thoughts and emotions come and go. You are not your adapted self that has learned all the rules. At your essence, you are your true self, the pure energy who is a witness to it all.
Think of your mind as a flowing river of thoughts and emotions. These thoughts and emotions are constantly changing, just like the water in the river. However, you are not the river itself. Instead, you are the observer standing on the riverbank, watching the water flow by. This observer, this awareness, is your true self.
At your core, you are the constant, unchanging presence that observes all these experiences. You are the witness to all the thoughts and emotions that pass through your mind. Recognizing this can help you connect with your true self — the pure energy that is always there, beyond the fluctuations of the mind.
What then stops you from staying in touch with your true self?
This article is an excerpt from Chapter 5 of Choose Your Work
Dan Dobos writes about decision making, personal growth, human potential, fulfillment and helping people choose the work that they are meant to do. He is the author of Choose Your Work.