My Father was very fond of saying:
“there are two types of people in this world…”
Well, guess what?
There are two types of people in this world 🙂
People who think about the question “who am I?”, and people who avoid that thought at all costs. It’s the difference between thinking deeply, and trying not to. As Bertrand Russell said in one of my favorite quotes:
“Most people would sooner die than think. In fact, they do so!”
As I took my dog for his customary long walk over the hills and through the woods this morning, I came to the realization that I sometimes appear to be two different people:
- Ben A feels like an ordinary human being;
- Ben B feels like a superhero
What makes the difference between the two is very simple: if I get up in the morning and do what I call ‘my practice’ – which is meditation and yoga – , it’s going to be a superhero kind of a day, guaranteed; if I don’t, it’s going to be… an ordinary kind of day.
Why do I need to practice to feel great. Why can’t I maintain that level of energy, focus, and joy? I think the answer is this: we learn as children that we are SOMETHING. For example, I was told:
- you are Ben
- you are a boy
- you are Jewish
- you are English
- you are clever and handsome (thanks Mum)
- you are lazy (thanks Dad)
- you are … you are … you are …
Leanne Chesser says
I just discovered your blog today, Ben, and I'm completely enjoying it. My short answer to the question, "Who are you?" is that I am.
Now for the longer answer :).
Your post reminds me of something I wrote as I was pondering a portion of "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle a while back. It stems from his ideas, so not totally mine, but it's my pondering. I hope you don't mind if I add it here:
We Call it Bird
We call it "bird."
But it's essence. It's life.
It's an expression or creation of Life.
It's life in a particular form.
We call that form "bird."
With "bird" we associate things like wings, flight, chirping, flying into windows, stupid, dirty, feathers, beaks, poop, worms, trees, nests.
This becomes its identity.
Yet, the beingness or essence that is the "bird" is rarely known. Our connection with that essence is rarely experienced. So we don't "see" it and love it and treasure it and be with it.
It's the same with our fellow human beings.
We call it "human."
But it's essence. It's life.
It's an expression or creation of Life.
It's life in a particular form.
We call that form "human."
More specifically, we may call that form "woman," "wife," "mother," "friend," "sister," "Julie." We may associate brown hair, pretty, calm, stubborn, the house down the street, Ukrainian, Canadian, Buddhist, cancer-survivor, teacher, narrow-minded, intelligent . . . or any other characteristic . . . with "Julie."
This becomes who "Julie" is.
Yet, the beingness or essence that truly is "Julie" is rarely known. Our connection with that essence is rarely experienced. So we don't "see" it or love it or treasure it or be with the "is-ness" that is "Julie."
We judge.
We like or dislike.
We associate or dismiss.
We mistreat.
We ignore.
We go about our own business, unaware of "Julie's" beingness . . . and unaware of our own.
We're:
• striving . . . to earn, to learn, to be right, to get through the day, to achieve, to be seen, to escape, to find "more"
• busy doing
• constantly accumulating
We're rarely just being. Rarely just being with God/Source/Spirit, creation, others, ourselves. Rarely just being who we really are . . .
. . . loving
. . . at peace
. . . in each moment
Written by Leanne Chesser
Ben Ralston says
Hi Leanne,
do I mind you posting a beautiful, truthful, and poetic piece of writing on my blog? The only thing I mind is that more people don't do that too 🙂
Thank you!
With love, Ben