MPOW #15 - Authentic Self

"The luxury I advocate has nothing to do with money. It cannot be bought. It is the reward of those who have no fear of discomfort." - Jean Cocteau

"To thine own self be true." - Shakespeare Hamlet

The very best, most pure, more authentic version of yourself is inside you at all times, ready to guide you. Whenever you need a bit of guidance, you can turn to authentic self for actions to take. Your authentic self will help you be bold and decisive. He or she will help you be true and noble. Best of all, this is you. You can manifest your most authentic self at any time.

There are times when we all feel "outside". When we know we are not our bravest, most fearless selves--the selves that we are accustomed to being--we may see the world in a haze. I'm optimistic that there's a way through this. We can cut through our lethargy and get to positive action. "Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." (Benjamin Disraeli)

I have found a wonderful journey that helped me meet my authentic self. Now that I have met Authentic Ed, I can bring my intention inward and channel him. Every now and then, I renew my relationship with him. For this Mindfulness Practice of the Week (MPOW), I hope that you can also meet this most precious of Our Guides and Guards for yourself

Meeting Authentic You
The first time, start by preparing an environment for the journey. It's a simple preparation. Put on some relaxing instrumental music. Pour a glass of water. Establish a comfortable place to sit. Free yourself of distractions: phone off, alarms off, no beeping computers, cat shut somewhere quiet. It is nice to choose an environment and music that is easy to recall or return to, because it can be used as a quick portal later.

Sit in your comfortable place, have a drink of the water, and hold your spine erect by imagining a string is pulling you up from the top of your head. Perform a quick body inventory, letting your muscles relax in your face, your shoulders, your chest, your lower back, your hips (you likely know or soon will know your personal culprits - if you have not tried it, I recommend that you Connect With Your Body's Wisdom (MPOW #8)), then back to your face and shoulders again. Sink into the music and allow yourself to explore it subtly.

Then let your journey begin. Imagine that rich, thick rays of sunlight are pouring down on my head and shoulders, a waterfall of pure light. It is so rich and warm and nourishing. It is viscous and clean. It purifies you as it massages your crown and shoulders and pours down over your body. You are sitting on a rock in a lagoon under this waterfall of light. The warm light of the sun showers down around you and into the lagoon.

Ahead of you, notice that someone is approaching. It is you, as your most authentic self. Introduce yourself. Get to know this most authentic version of you. He or she is desperately interested in knowing who you are and helping you in the most effective way possible. Your most authentic self loves you.

You have now established a connection that you can come back to at any time. Your most authentic self is always available to help you, to guide you on what you're going through.

Getting Back in Touch with the Authentic Self
You can always embark on the full journey again at any time to establish a deep connection. Though, now, I find it possible to sit anywhere, whether on the bus, in conference room during a meeting, in the cafeteria, or on an airplane, close my eyes, and bring myself to this place. I imagine the waterfall of light or use the music as an anchor. When my most authentic self approaches me, I know that I can Start Whole with his guidance.

I dedicate this post to Mariana Oskey's most authentic, fearless, super-creative, 360-degree self!

Start Whole

We are completely whole. Deep down, we all know this to be true, but much of this wisdom has been buried during a lifetime of negative mantras, unfortunate set-backs, and unconsciousness training -- such as from the advertising industry which thrives on us not feeling whole. Consequently, there's a part driving us that doubts our wholeness. This is the ego. For many of us, it is our delusion to believe that we are not whole and that we need material wealth, a title, fame, career success, a perfect partner or spouse, recognized intelligence, an attractive face and body, trophies, and a host of other things to feel whole. Most of us have somehow learned helplessness in one realm or another. Fortunately, we already have everything that we need for happiness and peace.

I take this lesson to heart and counsel myself with this advice (in second person). In everything that you do, whether in a relationship or alone, start by asking yourself if you already know that you're whole. That is the Self that Serves. If you are not convinced that you are whole, you may be acting out of desire or fear. And this can get ugly or embarrassing -- "Spilling your guts is exactly as charming as it sounds." (Fran Lebowitz). When you know that you are whole, you can act from a position of strength, as your authentic self. This holds true with work, relationships, hobbies, etc. If you have a regular practice, look inside your practice and see if this is true.

Next, see if the fear of being incomplete holds you back. A simple introspection: check if you seek validation through any of the so-called seven deadly sins. Give me a chance to explain that. I'm nervous to use sin, because it is a loaded word, and Words Are Powerful. Sin was not always synonymous to "act of evil". This came about by a certain church's fear-mongering oversimplification/distortion/mistranslation. Sin originated as an archery term meaning to "miss the mark." The word was used philosophically as a metaphor for missing the point, for doing something that was off a wise course, or what we might call "off track" or "off the path". Reclaim this less judgmental definition of sin as an effective tool for self-awareness. The seven deadly sins is a short list of symptoms that is helpful in diagnosing an unhealthy ego. The syndrome manifests through the ego as ravenous cravings for wholeness. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride are all afflictions of the incomplete ego hijacking you. When you witness this taking place, your authentic self snatches the reins back from your insecure ego.

Only recently have I noticed this pattern in myself. Every time that I have acted in order to make myself whole -- to fill some need in me -- something fails terribly. When I already know my whole and authentic self, my actions work out wonderfully, either as I intended or I learn something interesting along the way.

The panacea: Start whole.

This post is dedicated to Gaelen Billingsley who guided me to the understanding that I am already whole.

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