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 đ
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 …