Who Am I? Part 1

Who am I?

There is probably no more important question we can consider and ask ourselves, than this.

It is an inevitable question; it is something any living, thinking person will wonder. Who am I? and where did I come from?

Is there actually an answer to this question?

A Beginning Point

I have investigated this question at great depth. I have stretched and reached all my life to know who we are? And where did we come from? And, are we going somewhere after we die? Or is this all there is?

We are haunted by this question because it suggests the very context of life itself. It is the central point, the starting place from which we build.

What we believe about “who we are”, is at the heart of how we will respond to life–in all its forms.

Is There a Purpose?

It can be difficult to discover a consistent meaning to life with all that is going on down here, which seems to mostly revolve around our survival and how we get by.  The quality level of that survival can be all consuming. Does our existence actually mean anything? And can it be defined in some deep purposeful way? Or is it up to us individually to find and assign some kind of value to our life?

Our Belief System

Who we believe we are, determines how we will choose to react to everything that goes on around us; the way we will approach the decisions we make about where and how we spend our time; and how we believe we should conduct ourselves. Also, it determines our expectations; of both ourselves and of others.

Our Life’s Road is Our Theatrical Seat

Our personal viewing point (what we go through each day), is like sitting in a theater seat watching a movie play out.

Life brings experiences that teach, and reveal. We hope, we fear; we cry, we laugh; we try, we struggle; we fight, we triumph; we lose, we despair; and we witness others going through all of these same things before our very eyes.

Each of us, from our personal point of view, are watching and learning from others that we see. But we are also firsthand participants in the experience; navigating our way through relationships and collective activities to learn how to interact, cope and survive here. What we each experience has been called the facts of life. After all… these facts…are the substance of what life is made of.

But what we don’t realize, (as we are going through all of these experiences that run the gamut of feeling and emotion) is we often don’t value this experience as we should; and don’t always grasp deeper meanings that are there to be found.

We usually recognize these later. Often, years later looking back!

The future often defines the past, and what it has meant to us as we re-evaluate our own personal history, and what we have learned and gleaned from it.

All Experiences are not Equal

I have found many answers to questions about our purpose here over my lifetime in my studies and observations; but the quality of answers received have greatly depended on where I have chosen to place myself on the path of life.

Meaningful information that came depended on where, and with whom, I spent that time. Much of it came from great thinkers, people who also have questioned and sought truth who I did not have personal access to; but I read or listened to their words. Much of it has also come intuitively to my mind, by working through and thinking through these questions; by human-reasoning!  

I am fifty-eight years old, so I have had some time to live and to acquire a decent amount of experience. Yet, I still feel I am a youth in this process in many ways; because life (as it progresses), no matter how long we live, continues to provide new challenges.  

You are never done; and the journey always has more to offer. 

Those who have lived many years do have more time to acquire experience; but years of living, in and of itself, does not bring valued experience– providing meaningful answers or wisdom.

Our attitudes and feelings, our discipline in pushing ourselves to think new thoughts, and seeking new ideas by the exposure, study, and the acquisition of knowledge we willingly seek out, has the most impact to broaden our perspective, and to continue to hone us, and polish us; because it expands our own vision of the world when we consider viewpoints that do not naturally occur to us.

This stretching and comparison process, does broaden our thinking and our own personal perspective, and can lead to wisdom, and wisdom can lead us to truth.

Truth and Rhythm

I believe life has a rhythm, and a logic to it.

Truth builds momentum as you acquire it because truth is all related; it is not just a set of isolated facts. Truth is one set of facts involved in and connecting to other facts, each building and ending up related to one another… through the vast areas of our lives and this existence.

No matter where you live, or your economic conditions, truth begins to set a foundation, and grows in all directions to take in things as they are, things as they were, and things that will be. Whether conditions are positive or negative, good or bad, there are lessons to be gained within, which add to this foundation of experience and truth. When you converse with others and share experiences, there are always common understandings and realizations, even when your lives have been lived in different places or circumstances. There can also be great differences in how we view our meaning and purpose, depending on the cultural structure and beliefs from where you live in the world or within your personal circle. But even then, the similar struggle of existence brings shared understandings where we find agreement and relatability.

Truth must be Sought After

To find certain answers or deeper meanings and levels of truth you must put forth effort. Some answers can be hard to find, requiring an active search.  If you want the truth… you have to become fearless; because to possess it… you must pay a price. Why is this the case? Because the truth is not there to please you, and it does not answer to anyone. It is not ours to mold and shape into whatever we want it to be. You must be able to abandon beliefs you hold that may turn out to be incorrect, if they come into conflict with truth. This can be very hard for people to do, because our beliefs are what hold us together, and give our life its stability, and they undergird our worldview.

But within us… none of us really wants to be lied to. None of us really wants to be deceived. A new idea can be scary for all of us; but truth holds the greatest beauty, and meaning… because it is real.

The truth “is what is”; it can’t be changed or conditional upon our personal belief system or interpretation, this will not make a false idea true. If we try to hide from truth, we only lie to ourselves about it and try to pretend it is not real, so we don’t have to be responsible for knowing it, or our personal accountability to live in harmony with it.

The Truth is Freedom

So, if you are going to answer this question of “Who am I?”  You have to begin, by being willing to be open-minded to the truth, whatever it is.

But it is my belief, it is much better to know the truth, and live within it, than to attempt to run from it, and to live a lie; because the truth is true freedom!

Why is it freedom?

Because, it is an understanding and recognition of true reality as we discover it; and learning to live in harmony with it… rather than pitting ourselves against it. Until we do, we are not free– and we cannot be at peace within.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”   – John 8:32 Holy Bible (KJV)

Truth Must be Found by Each of Us Personally

I am not going to tell you what to believe. This is an exercise everyone must go through for themselves and reach their own conclusion. No one can be forced to truth; you must come willingly or you will not come at all.

“A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.” –Dale Carnegie

This website will be a place for sharing and expressing ideas, feelings, and knowledge of life’s experience. You will take away what rings true to you.

I, as well as other contributors, will share what we have come to believe and why. Feel free to question, to argue, to agree or disagree with whatever you wish. Being here is a choice.

To be continued . . .