Showing Yourself

We have a persona which we show the world. The outer self. This is an age in which there is an emphasis on exposing our inner selves for all the world to see.

Regardless of whether or not the world needs to see who we are. Regardless of whether or not we wish to expose our lives to the view and comment of all the world.

Let’s try something even more daring. Rather than exposing ourselves to the outside world, let’s expose ourselves to ourselves.

It’s a challenge. We’re used to thinking about it in psychological terms. Human psychological and behavioral development have been big business for decades. But let’s not focus on that. Let’s dig deeper.

Let’s focus on the spiritual. That intensely personal, private part of ourselves which we find easier to escape from than to embrace.

What would it be like to focus our minds on the immateriality of our being? On our sentient self and beyond? To that unknown, unseen force that gives life to our physical being?

It’s not exactly something we’re going to discuss over coffee with most of the people we know. We may not be comfortable discussing our spiritual lives with anybody. There has been an extraordinary chasm imposed on human society over the last four or five hundred years between the life of the spirit and the life of the body.

It’s acceptable to discuss where we work and live and who we know. Outside of strict parameters, it is not acceptable to discuss our spiritual lives. If we even know what it is. If we have ever been given the guidance and opportunity for spiritual development.

In a recent article I read about yet another woman who channels Yeshua or, as we call him, Jesus Christ. That does not impress me. Many people have spoken to God, angels and saints.

I do. Daily.

So what?

What I want to know about are people who channel their inner selves. Their true selves. The person beyond and beneath the physical self. The person who might never pray. Who has never attempted meditation. The person I pass on the street.

In your innermost being, the deepest, most hidden part of your spirit, who do you see yourself to be? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what any other human being thinks of you. If you haven’t the vaguest clue as to who you are, what are you waiting for?

It does matter that you know your true self.

Think about it.

We go to school to study languages, math, science, history, civics and more. When do study ourselves? Our spiritual selves? The human underneath all the things they never told us about in psychology classes.

It takes time and effort to acquire the language we need to understand our own spirit, our own soul. You may grow up in an area where the locals speak one or several languages. Spiritual teachers can suggest ideas, books, music and other tools, but we are the ones who are ultimately responsible to ourselves to listen to our souls.

Each of our souls speaks differently to us. Each soul is unique. Each person has the choice of whether or not we are willing to uncover our deepest selves.

We have to undertake an archeological expedition of our souls. The only person who can explain our spiritual selves to us is us. It’s the only way we can discover that we cannot be compared to anyone else. We are incomparable. We carry within us unmatchable beauty.

How can we see our spiritual selves? How can we even begin to get a glimpse of that beauty?

Do something unexpected. Something which many people who think they are spiritually adept would consider ignominious apostasy.

Look at yourself as a person living a fully spiritual and physical life. You are so much more than a spiritual being in a physical body. Humans are something angels can never become. You and I are fully spiritual and physical beings, so long as we are willing to blast open the false barriers separating us from ourselves.

If you can exercise your mind and body daily, you can exercise your spirit. Ignatius Loyola had no corner on the market for spiritual exercises. Look around at the people you know. People you appreciate. Maybe even admire.

What do they do that makes them worthy of your notice? What makes them the complex, surprisingly wondrous persons they are? What about them shows their uniqueness?

Then do the same. Show your innermost self to yourself. The part that seems to barely shine at first. Be persistent about seeing the goodness in yourself.

Show your truly surprising, stunning self to yourself.