So Who Are You? Does it matter?

Most of my life, I've been hearing the same message; if you know yourself, all is well. I was told the secret to happiness is some magic elixer, that once you attain it, you will know yourself.

So why is it that the more I see, the more mystery there is?

The process of becoming aware is to understand how much of what you think is you is just labels. Labels come from other people, but even more important labels also come from me.

What is wrong with that is that I, and you, identify with those labels and believe that is who we are. We no longer see life, we see the labels we have applied to it. We also learn to fear, because if we are what our labels tell us, we have something to lose.

I know I am expressing this badly, for words themselves are labels. They point to something, but are not the thing itself; yet we often think that the words are all there is.

Life is to be lived, to seek to experience each moment. Labels cloud your vision and you see everything through a filter. The only way I know of to counter that is to be aware of them by observing yourself as you live. When you do that, you find that "knowing yourself" is not important, since life changes and you change too.

You experience what it means to be free, for you realize that every label is a nothing; you can change it or discard it, but you still are.

Then life is good! You free yourself to experience all of life, instead of hiding from the "bad" parts. You discover that there is Joy to be had, even during times of suffering.

Thank You Lord for Joy!

Till next time,

Duane