Dying of our identities
Dying of our identities is a tough business. It is in fact the very crux of the process of personal evolution.
Although many people recently experienced times of heightened awareness, just as many didn’t feel anything. However, the “shift” heralded by the spiritual movement is occurring whether we’re aware of it or not.
The Process Of Personal Evolution
For most, it is a subtle wave of slow adjustments, regulated by the level of our openness to new ways of perceiving and thinking – otherwise the intensity would be overwhelming for many. Still many resist this type of change because it involves changing our whole way of being, and who wants to do that? Well we all do, we want the results but are still resistant to the process itself, and here’s why. People are scared to change jobs, never mind change their entire identity, which appears to them to be their only stable platform in a rapidly transforming reality. As it turns out, our presumed and assumed identity is nothing more than a collection of ideas, beliefs, stories and habitual thought processes. And it is this identity which is the source of the challenges and obstacles we’re facing. It is not at the level of being that we are missing anything, it is merely our idea of ourselves and our relationship to the universe that is incomplete. We developed our identity as a functional strategy, but inevitably new challenges arise in our emergent environment placing new demands on us, and offering new opportunities. To overcome the challenges and take advantage of many of these opportunities we need to update our identity. As an added bonus, the more integrated and whole our idea of ourselves becomes, the more access we have to our innate peace and love, and the more we tap into Divine intelligence and wisdom.
Change is Uncomfortable to say the least!
Shifting our identity is a very serious business. It never ceases to amaze me how many modern teachers out there take this process too lightly. Sure it is if it is done on the ego level, but is this true transformation or pure distraction? During the past 3 decades of research I have not found a single instance in any ancient texts, eastern or western, that refers to this process of our growth and transformation as fun and a breeze. Its always viewed as some sort of struggle and even a sense of dying. The process of dying to our identity does not strip us of all identity, it is simply a case of replacing a dysfunctional or limiting identity with an updated and more functional one. Its an ongoing process, and hence the term “Dying Daily” was coined. Dying to the ego or our identity feels like death. All the real masters worked hard to overcome incredible inner obstacle to achieve harmony with the universe. As some of you may know, this month is very energetically charged and there is a lot of happening behind the scenes.
I myself have been experiencing some major transitions, and it doesn’t feel so yummy. There is a lot of tension, doubt and resistance, and although I have been on this path for around 3 decades, it still sometimes hits hard. Lately nothing I took for granted makes sense any more, not sure whether I am coming or going and this pressing sense of false urgency…. Last night I decided to get to the bottom if it and allowed myself to be with it and go beyond it. It didn’t come easy. Every time I was close I would abandon the try and on it went. What I am so afraid of? I kept thinking. And I dived. And looked and looked and tears started to run down my cheeks. It was scary. Maybe not for my true self but definitively for the identity, the ego.
So what did I find in there? ……………….. Let me tell you ……………… NOTHING! Absolutely nothing. All this time we think we are something, we strive to be something, we identify as something, we do everything in our power to be something, to go somewhere, achieve something and we run and we run. What are we running from so much? A simple discovery that underneath it all we are nothing, but not in the sense we were conditioned to believe. It hit me like a ton of bricks. It wasn’t easy and still I can’t make much sense of it besides intellectually. But the profundity of this experience is enough to take a pause. I hope this share will allow some people to step forward and abandon the mask for a moment and acknowledge that the process of our growth and evolution is scary at times, and that we are all in the same boat. Pretending is not doing anyone any good. We could be so much more open and compassionate towards each other, to assist one another and not pretend like everything is fine so that others won’t think we are weaker than them.
Replacing the Mask with Authentic Being
There are so many workshops and therapies out there that only scratch the surface of our masks are not doing much good. No matter how much you clean up the mask the fact remains it is still a mask. True authenticity however, allow us to gain humility and in humility and raw authenticity the creative power of the universe sings its song, and that’s when humanity will come alive to dance to this song.
Focused on exactly this process of updating the identity, with as little disruption as possible we’re holding our workshop Mastering the Art of Relationships again soon. Although somewhat geared towards our relationships with others, this workshop focuses on our relationship with ourselves. When this is balanced and harmonious our relationships with others are effortlessly transformed. For those of you who haven’t attended one of our workshops I highly recommend this. For the many of you that have attended, please refer anyone you know who may be struggling with relationship issues at the moment so that we can assist more people on their path to greater integration and wholeness.
I agree with Lisa, feels like this was written for me. Inspires me too.
Incredible! Feels like this was written for me or by me. Inspired me many times over. Helps me understand you both & myself more.
Thank you for this blog.