Who are we?

CURIOUS SELF: “Who are we?” - This question has been asked and attempted to be answered over millions of times, yet, every time this question is raised, it is followed by silence and an uncomfortable knowing that we realistically do not have an accurate, complete and permanent answer. Most religions have attempted to define us, yet, in our hearts we know that each definition is incomplete. Science has attempted to classify us, yet, in our hearts we know that there are many mysteries that Science has yet to solve. Spirituality has attempted to answer this question by describing us as infinite beings, yet, in our hearts we know that once we die, we may cease to exist. Maybe our spirit lives forever, but, are we sure of that? Governments have tried to control us by making us citizens, yet, in our hearts we know that we all share the same set of feelings ranging from anger, grief, disappointment, resentment, fear and doubt to courage, compassion, peace, love, belongingness and fulfillment. Companies have tried to manage us by giving us job titles, yet, in our hearts we know that we can perform more effectively if we are given more freedom. Every explanation seems elusive or incomplete, every answer seems vague or ambiguous, every description seems imperfect or biased and every definition seems to have exceptions.

So who are we? Are we energy? Some of us believe we are energy and we attract what we think of and feel the most. Some of us believe we are energy magnets and our thoughts create our future, the way we feel creates our opportunities and our actions get influenced by what we hold strongly in our minds. Is this true? Like energy attracts like energy. So if we hold on to positive thoughts and develop positive feelings then we will attract positive friends and positive opportunities into our lives. Maybe this is true, but does this happen all the time? If we daily recite positive affirmations then our lives start to shift in the desired direction of our choosing. Affirmations are powerful and many people have managed to change their habits, but does this work all the time? If we are energy and our mind is susceptible to positive suggestions then we could simply have positive video recordings played to children and the next generation would be free of addictions, free of unhealthy foods, free of alcohol, free of anxiety, free of failed relationships, free of tobacco, free of drugs, free of racism, free of crime and free of conflicts. We could provide positive video recordings to prisoners, have them recite positive affirmation daily and when they get released they will have become model citizens. But we all know that this is not the case and positive affirmations have limited effect. So, back to our question, are we really energy? Can we control our thoughts and feelings thereby creating our future? In any case, let’s continue exploring…

So who are we? Are we consciousness? Some of us believe we are consciousness and we are becoming more aware of ourselves. Some of us believe that in the beginning there was an absolute consciousness and it could not experience itself since it was whole and complete. So in order to complete its experiential component the absolute consciousness decided to split itself into infinite beings and once the expansion happened each part started to experience itself in relationship with the other parts and thus the absolute consciousness was now able to experience every aspect of itself in the relative expanded universe. Does this make any sense? If the absolute consciousness was whole and complete to begin with, then it would probably not crave any new experiences, so it would not attempt to split itself. And if the absolute consciousness was yearning something so passionately that it had to undergo a significant transformation into infinite beings, then maybe, the absolute consciousness was an unstable entity and it was pre-destined to expand, thereby, violating the original premise that it was whole and complete. Anyways, back to our question, are we really consciousness? If so, is it possible for us to experience the original absolute consciousness? Do thoughts and feelings create our consciousness or does our consciousness create our thoughts and feelings? Does our consciousness change over time or does it remain relatively static during our limited lifetime? Does consciousness play a role in evolution or is evolution a part of consciousness? In any case, let’s continue exploring…

So who are we? Are we global citizen? Some of us believe we are global citizens and we are creating world peace by our professional contributions, philanthropic ventures and international co-operation. Some of us believe we are making our countries stronger and increasing harmony among nations. Though it is quite apparent that the more efforts we undertake toward world peace, the more it seems that there is international unrest. A century ago there was no terrorism, computer hacking, identity theft or online bullying. However, there was genocide, world wars, slavery and inequality. So did these old forms of cruelty get replaced by these new forms of heartlessness? We create powerful weapons that are used to fuel hostility among different nations, create civil volatility in under-developed countries, equip criminals to carry out attacks on innocent people and increase overall violence at our planet. Why is our law and justice system and defense programs designed with powerful weapons as a critical fundamental component? Few decades ago with the principles of Non-Violence, India implemented their freedom struggle plan without use of weapons and was able to neutralize the mighty British Empire with Non-cooperation and peaceful demonstrations. Anyways, back to our question, are we really global citizens? How can we apply peaceful principles in our fight against terrorism? How can we relate to computer hackers in a compassionate manner and inspire them to strengthen the internet instead of exploiting its vulnerabilities? How can we thwart identity thieves and inspire them to create wealth without violating the rights of others, thereby pursuing an honest living? How can we make social media safer and encourage everyone to be polite and courteous online? In any case, let’s continue exploring…

So who are we? Are we evolutionary products? Some of us believe in the theory of evolution and that we are descendants of a common universal ancestor. Some of us believe that we may evolve into a new species millions of years from now. Why is it that evolution decided that after ~5 min of oxygen deprivation to our brain we will die, why not 5 hrs? Evolution had millions of years to design us so why not give us a little bit more capacity to store oxygen in our blood and improve our odds of survival? Let’s assume that the reason a giraffe has a very long neck is that the giraffe’s ancestor constantly reached for leaves on higher branches, then why did some of our human ancestors not practice underwater diving to increase their lung capacity and thereby evolve into humans who could survive up to 5 hrs of oxygen deprivation. On the other hand, if evolution would have given us 5 hrs capacity to handle oxygen deprivation what would have been the other biological consequences? Would we have been taller? Would we be having larger torsos? Would we still have the intellectual capacity to build tools? And most importantly would that have given our species better odds of survival? Let’s examine another evolutionary theory. What if we create a space ship and send 1 million human beings for space exploration for a 10 million year round trip? The space ship will not have gravity allowing the space travelers to glide and space walk inside their space ship, due to which each subsequent generation will not need stronger bones and they will develop bodies which are lighter. So when the space ship returns how will the new colony adapt to our planet earth? Will they need wheel chairs? And if they continue their stay on earth with the natural gravity after 10 million years will their offspring regain their bone strength? Anyways, back to our question, are we really evolutionary products? Why did evolution design us the way we are today? How will the next evolutionary changes impact us? Will we be able to influence future generation’s evolutionary features if we wanted to? How will genetic research play a role in our evolution once our current levels of moral restrictions get overshadowed by scientific discoveries and we decide to experiment with our DNA? In any case, let’s continue exploring….

So who are we? Are we co-creators? Some of us believe that we all are co-creators of our experiences and together we can transform the world into a better place. Some of us believe that each individual contributes towards the outcome of the entire human race. If this is the case then why is it possible for some of us to develop hostility towards others? Why do some of us seek to dominate the weaker folks? Why do we co-create financial scams and swindle money from innocent investors? How is it that we have co-created so many complex social issues that leads to relationship failures and mistrust? How did we so easily manage to co-create the tobacco industry that manufactures cigarettes which causes cancer? Anyways, back to our question, are we really co-creators? Is it possible to co-create a tobacco free society? Is it possible to co-create a society free of discrimination and animosity?

HIGHER SELF: “WE ARE OUR CHOICES” Our current state of being is determined by all the choices we make. Each action we take however trivial contributes to our overall results. We ultimately become who we choose to be. We are energy. We are consciousness. We are global citizens. We are evolutionary products. We are co-creators. We can add several more states of being to our existence. We are happy. We are love. We are peace. We are friendly. We are compassionate. We are powerful. We are productive. We are fun. We are excited. We are innovative. We are courageous. We are patriotic. We are generous. We are emphatic. We are healthy. We are co-operative. We are faithful. We are wealth creators. We are wise. Once we realize that “WE ARE OUR CHOICES” acceptance of many difficult things becomes relatively easy. We can easily accept our true nature which includes all the desirable and all the undesirable qualities. We can relate to all the various concepts and theories that have existed. We can forgive all the injustices and animosity committed towards us. We can make peace with our unfulfilled expectations. We can let go of our disappointments. We can transform our grief and sorrow into serenity and inner fulfillment. We can find clarity in the chaos and confusion of overwhelming information overload. We can choose to be happy. We can courageously follow our hearts true desires. We can be assertive and compassionate. We can create harmony and wellbeing. We can create healthy goals and set healthy boundaries.

Let us focus our complete attention on all the 7+ Billion human beings, all the animals, all the plants, all the insects, all the birds, our entire planet, our entire solar system, our entire Milky Way galaxy and our entire universe. Everything that is happening is happening in our “NOW MOMENT”. Take some time to absorb this feeling. Take some time to experience this happening. Take some time to become aware of the present moment. Take some time to let go of the past. Take some time to surrender to the future. Take some time to consolidate all our thoughts. Take some time to embrace all our feelings. Take some time to feel the powerful connection with everything around us. Take some time to experience our existence in the infinite expanding space around us. Take some time to become one with the universe. Take some time to breathe in deeply and breathe out deeply and continue to experience this state. All that happens in our now moment is good. Some happenings are undesirable and we must do our best to fight and overcome the undesirable. Yet, overall in the grand scheme of things, all that happens is good. And we are nothing but this goodness that is happening right now. It is entirely up to us to recognize this whole goodness and choose it completely.

For some of us the answer “WE ARE OUR CHOICES” to the question “Who are we?” will resonate strongly and for some of us the simplistic answers like we are energy, we are consciousness, we are global citizens, we are evolutionary products or we are co-creators will resonate strongly. It’s all good. No matter how we experience the inquiry of who we are, it will eventually lead us to “WE ARE OUR CHOICES”.

(A) Physical Well-Being:

      - Let us choose Mindful Eating

      - Let us choose Wellness

      - Let us choose Exercise, Yoga, Stretching and Fitness Centers

      - Let us choose Vegetarian Lifestyle

      - Let us choose to Quit Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol

      - Let us choose to eat more Whole Food rather than Processed Foods

      - Let us choose Meditation

(B) Emotional Well-Being:

      - Let us choose Happiness

      - Let us choose Love

      - Let us choose Letting Go

      - Let us choose Gratitude

      - Let us choose Intimacy

      - Let us choose Passion

      - Let us choose Meditation

(C) Financial Well-Being:

      - Let us choose Abundance

      - Let us choose Success

      - Let us choose Integrity

      - Let us choose Our Future

      - Let us choose Learning new Professional Skills

      - Let us choose team-work, new projects and Finance Courses

      - Let us choose Meditation

(D) Spiritual Well-Being:

      - Let us choose Inner Peace

      - Let us choose Oneness

      - Let us choose Trust

      - Let us choose Forgiveness

      - Let us choose Compassion

      - Let us choose Simplicity

      - Let us choose Courage

      - Let us choose Meditation

We Love Meditation.

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