do we know how identified with our individual perspectives that we are?

no, we really don’t. we often have no idea.

and my truth is that that’s okay — we wouldn't be here if we didn’t have some highly sensitive identification with the vessels that take us around day to day. our personal identifications allow us to play the game — they allow us to navigate life with a unique perspective, to cultivate unique talents, to stir up the pot even just a bit, so that we may have purpose here and keep moving forward.

ultimately, I see subtle forms of identification with the body as being incredibly beautiful. when humans choose to adorn themselves (on the body, within the body, throughout the home), I celebrate that! as those kinds of identifications can be done in ultimate reverence for and humility towards the Beauty and elemental structure of the place we’ve all come from. whether we’re always aware of it or not, that is what art and adornment do — they convey and celebrate the unseen. I see these subtle identifications with life as a celebration of raw, manifest form and a respect for the delicacy of this life. taking care of the body through daily exercise, clean eating, skincare and body-care rituals can be done out of respect for the body. however, it can also be done in vain.

and therein, I believe, lies the difference between living in reverence and living pretentious.

we can learn to live in tremendous peace by owning up to our identifications. how attached are we to certain ideas, feelings, people, places, things? if we feel pangs of hoarding energy — “this idea is mine” “this feeling is me” “this is my place” “this is my person” "these are all of my things” — then we are being bratty. we must remember that we have the power to make ourselves victim to these things, or to let them go. see, celebrate, love, and let go.

we must remember that ultimately, we choose what we identify ourselves with, because identifications can give us purpose! we choose them because they keep us here, and they allow us to learn to love deeper and expand further. and so, we can love and let go of identifications by channeling them into being of service to others. we can move from pretension to reverence by being in service to the unseen.

I love this quote from Richard Rohr: " As soon as we own a boat and identify with it, it picks up its own energy. We have to practice un-possessing, letting go, detaching from our thoughts and feelings, or they own us. With every idea or image that comes into our head, we have the opportunity to say, 'No, I’m not that; I don’t need that; that’s not me.' This frees you to intentionally choose your divine identity instead. But you must not attack, hate, or condemn any idea or thought; that would merely be your perfectionistic ego trying to 'win.' This is basic training in nonviolence. You must not hate your soul. The point is to recognize thoughts and feelings and to say, 'That’s not necessary; I don’t need that.' But do it very amiably. If we learn to handle our own souls tenderly and lovingly, then we’ll be able to carry this same loving wisdom into our other relationships. A thousand seeming 'distractions' are now a thousand opportunities to choose God instead. So there is really no such thing as a distraction! Why didn’t someone tell me that as a novice?! "

own up. be willing to learn to love. be willing to let go. I humble myself before you. <3