your true self is calling

who am I, underneath it all?

the you that you experience in quiet moments

fleeting windows of clarity; free of thought and disturbing emotions

the consciousness that lies under the changing roles and realities you encounter

Who is my true self?

To start off, rather than thinking of yourself as just one integrated being (though that is ultimately the goal — integration), first think of yourself as a collection of selves or parts. Imagine that each part has developed in response to the everyday stressors of life, painful emotions, managing different goals and relationships in your life.

And this may be why you feel different in different contexts and around different people, and doubly so for highly sensitive people, who are often highly mutable, adaptable and changeable.

Think of the question ‘who am I?’ as the beginning of an endless exploration and self-inquiry, rather than the need to rush to a fixed destination, a concrete answer right away.

It’s okay if you don’t really know who you are.

At the beginning, take stock of all the parts of you that you do know, and are familiar with.

How do I act when I’m stressed? What actions do I tend to take? What are the narratives that I tend to repeat to myself? What do I feel when I’m around different people? What are these feelings and thoughts telling me about myself?

Over time, the work is to learn to respect each part of ourselves; it’s not necessary or realistic to love every part of ourselves. We can even feel sadness or dislike, but the goal is just to unconditionally accept these parts, and respect the roles that they play in our lives.

See these parts as a board of directors, and your core self as the CEO, who is taking into consideration the thoughts and feelings of each part to ultimately respond in a way that honors all of you.

At a certain point, you may start to realize that you aren’t your thoughts and feelings — but rather, the one observing them.

Choice

With every choice, we nurture the seeds of our true selves.

The parts of us that we cultivate, bloom and grow.

We don’t have to be ruled by our reactivity. We can learn to work with our fears compassionately.

We can choose the parts of us we want to lead the way.

Self-discovery and actively choosing the parts ourselves to cultivate creates a fulfilling life. The Universe is your co-conspirator bringing you opportunities all the time to shed light on your consciousness.