Who am I? 

All of us at some point in our lives ask ourselves this question seeking a much deeper meaning in the answer than simply our name,, where we were born, where we live, what we do for a living, etcetera.

And in spite of being what seems to be a very simple question, in reality it is very complex to answer, and very often -especially if you have never really stopped to think deeply about it- we go straight to the obvious and respond according to the established social parameters.

Normally, this definition that we create of ourselves is usually an external definition of ourselves, in other words, a definition that others have created for us based on what they think, value, and see in us.

…

Really quick: there are actually 3 ways to enjoy this article:

1. Watch this YouTube video:

2. Listen to this episode of the You Are All You Need podcast on Spotify (available on any podcast streaming service)

3. Continue reading this article :)

…

And it is based on this external definition that we gradually create our internal concept of who we are and what our position in this world is.

This is what we learn from the moment we are able to think for ourselves and begin to understand the world around us. From the first time, at the age of around two, when you consciously looked at the mirror, pointed at yourself and the adult standing next you said that the image was you and associated it with your name.

At that moment, the actual identification of who you were commenced with that image, that body that you saw reflected in the mirror and that name they had given you from outside.

That is the first conception we have of ourselves, and far from being the only one, it is not until you are little older when you begin to understand that you are not just a name or a face. You are many more things in your life…

We have lots of roles…. We are siblings, partners, friends, and professionals. We embody traits like being chatty or shy, good at math or arts, responsible or carefree….

So, without realizing it, you grow and you build your vision of the world and your experiences based on these beliefs that you unconsciously construct about yourself.

Beliefs which in reality are only based on thoughts created in your mind repeatedly about who you are and how you perceive the world.

But let’s think about this… How real are these beliefs and thoughts if they can be totally different for each person?

The answer is that they are only real in the mind of who has them. And they function as if you were wearing glasses tinted with a specific color through which you see yourself and the world around you. And this color that you can now see can change totally depending on how you evolve and grow in your life…
So, It can be a fairly daunting task to understand who you really are, if you continuously base how you define yourself on the color you see through your glasses.

To understand who you truly are deep down, you need to dig a bit further to discover that something that is constant and unchangeable within you.

Let’s dive deeper.

Each one of us is formed by a body, mind and soul.

To a great extent, your body corresponds to the visible part of yourself in this physical dimension, the mind and soul, to your invisible partner.

Generally speaking, we normally identify ourselves firstly with the most obvious part of our being: our body. However, although we are linked to our body in this physical dimension of reality, we are not this body.

In fact, your body is more a temporary vessel that you have been given to enjoy and experience the sensations offered by the visible world in which you live but it is not who you are in reality.

So, are you your mind? Are you your thoughts?

The answer is that while hundreds of thoughts swarm around your mind every day, you are not really those thoughts, but rather you are the observer of those thoughts. 

In other words, on a much more internal level, you are the person observing those changing and volatile thoughts.

This concept is extremely important: you are the observer of your thoughts.

Its importance is such that if you accept that you are merely an observer within yourself of these thoughts and emotions that are constantly generated in your mind, you suddenly have the power to decide what thoughts to create and which ones not to create, which thoughts to pay attention to and which ones to ignore.

When you understand this, you go from being a victim of your thoughts to leading them and being responsible for each and every one of them, actively deciding what to believe and what not to believe.

And once put it into practice every day, you are capable of beginning to understand the infinite potential you have within yourself. A potential that lies hidden and dormant the majority of the time behind that turmoil of thoughts and emotions that our mind is constantly creating.

The key is understanding that your mind is another part within you. An extremely important part because it is your most powerful tool in order to walk throughout the world. As human beings, it is what provides us with all the mechanisms of consciousness, logic, survival, etcetera, making it possible for us to understand the world from a richer perspective and be aware of it at the same time.

AND Your mind is capable of overcoming behavior or negative thought patterns that you had in the past and imprinting new and positive ideas if you are capable of giving it the appropriate instructions.

As Robin S. Sharma so stated, “the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master”.

The mind does not know what is real and what is not. Our mind only understands and acts based on the stimuli that we give it, and your thoughts are the main stimuli that your mind constantly receives, as it is through the thoughts that you choose to have, that form your view of life in general, or yourself and each situation in which you find yourself.

The mind, as the mere servant that it is, works on the basis of the stimuli that it receives -good or bad- and processes them so that your perception of the world is aligned with those thoughts, while at the same time attracting situations and people to your life who are on this same wavelength, or as they say in energy terms, vibration.

…

Ready To Upgrade?

➡️ If you enjoyed this article, you’ll find a much deeper analysis on how to start living a life full of passion and purpose in my book You Are Already Everything You Need

➡️ Join the 20-Day Challenge in my podcast You Are All You Need and start walking together this journey of self-transformation