The question of “who am I” is one of the most profound and persistent issues that we face, and must answer each moment and day of our lives. And guess what… we can go the bulk of a lifetime without ever addressing it. Essentially, we are told “who we are” from first breath, and attempts by others to tell us who we are will continue throughout our lives, until the last. Said attempts will be made by people who, essentially, don’t know who or what they are. However, we will, of necessity and I suspect, by design, believe whatever we are told. That is, in the beginning. The question is how long will we live under that spell, and what does that way of seeing and being, do for us experientially?

So who am I? Who are you?

While it is correct to say that we’re human beings, we tend to not appreciate what that means. Or perhaps another way of putting it is that the meaning we give to the idea of being human is not generally sufficient as to allow us to activate, demonstrate, and exercise choices or take actions that would be more consistently beneficial. Instead, we parse ourselves into ever smaller ideological “compartments” — of “races”, language, culture, nationality, region, city, town, neighborhood, economic and educational status, family, even ranking among siblings.

By defining ourselves in this way, we tend to cut off and reduce possibility after possibility, until we think we’ve got a handle on What IS. However, when we find that What IS doesn’t exactly work for us, we often have no clue that it can be changed, or how. Yet, until we know that we can change, the ongoing change that we naturally experience throughout our lives will seem as though it were “the same” to us.

Who I am; indeed, what I am, is a living, intelligent “unit” of energy; a spiritual being expressing through a human form. I am one who lives… who exists both in and beyond the continuum of space and time. Beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes — both positive and negative — influence my words and actions to create my relationships and life experiences. I am the only one on this planet who will spend every moment of my life with me. Unwittingly, I have been my own worst enemy. I am now my best friend.

I existed before my body’s first breath, and will continue to exist after the last, for life has no real antithesis… only that which appears to be. Love has no real antithesis, only that which appears to be. It is not hatred, but fear. God has no real antithesis, only that which is believed to be. In our beliefs we create that which appears to be real… even the idea of death. Our life experiences then reflect, very convincingly, these beliefs. We humans are that good, and powerful at what we do.

Perhaps you’re saying that you’re Presbyterian or Republican, and these are not your beliefs… or that you’re “working your way to being spiritual.” Perhaps you take exception to my expressing such an authoritative opinion concerning who you are. It’s okay. You’re free to disagree.

Like many, I have grappled with the question of God, who or what It is, and the nature of my relationship thereto. I now see myself as God expressing as “Me,” and you as God expressing as “You.” It doesn’t matter if you see yourself or me in this way. You are using the same tools of experiential creation within this reality, this space/time continuum, as I am — beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes, both positive and negative. It’s all part and parcel of being human. All of these are changeable for you and me. That too is all part and parcel of being human.

For much of my life, my conception of human beingness has been, shall we say, grossly under appreciated. My conception has been the commonly held perception of what humanity is, i.e., flesh and bone, “of sin,” alone, weak, vulnerable, disconnected from a very emotionally insecure God, and of questionable longevity in the Grander Scheme of things.

In the future essays, I will explore these questions, filling in the answers that work for me now. That which rings “true” to you, will be for you too.

Stay tuned.