Who Do You Think You Are?
An Invitation to Self-Discovery
the eternal question that provokes pulses and meanders: ‘Who do you think you are?’ No, not from your spouse as she slams the kitchen door Nor a melodrama villain go on the warpath. No, here it’s an invitation: a playful, yet philosophical, question into the nature of yourself.
We’ve all asked that question, ‘Who am I?’ when the world noisily recedes and you have a moment of quiet contemplation. But have you ever really answered yourself?
Are you the worker ant of the 9-to-5 world? Are you the overachieving parent who spends every waking moment trying to make the world a better place for your children? Are you the baker responsible for your corner of the world’s supply of donuts? Are you the writer who puts words on paper and then pixels in order to connect with other human beings? Or are you the artist who orders the chaos of life in a pretty picture?
After all, who are you, dear reader, and what divine string is pulling you out of your bed this morning? to dance with the stars? Is it fate, or mere coincidence?
Now let’s get our hands dirty playing in the sandpit of life’s wonderful imperfections. We arrive in this world surprised into an imperfect family. Each of us comes equipped with our share of imperfections, and None of us escapes the stories of sibling rivalry, economic freefall, and niggling insecurities that gnaw at our bones. Together, in this beautifully messy dance, we can create a symphony of competence, security, love and joy.
with each determined decision, each humble vow, we came a little bit closer to our better selves. It’s an act of faith, self-trust, a passionate project of learning how to rejoice in everyday life, in learning healthy love, in making better choices for ourselves, healing the emotional bruises, nurturing your plants with compost and love, and giving yourself first unconditional hugs. Because as George Eliot wrote,
‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been’.
Now, this isn’t a lecture, but, then again, neither should it be. Let’s call it more of a kicking; a tap on the shoulder to wake up the enlightened philosopher of your very own being, And I don’t claim to descend from the skies with wisdom. I aim only to be a spark, to get your flame of discovery burning again.
Well, who am I? A question not to be answered but to be savored, puzzled over, and entered into Let it be your compass, your maze leading outward to the forests so that we too might shudder a step forward. The way of the world is helping, but what’s truly helpful is helping yourself.
For truly, there’s no greater adventure than the one that lies inside.
