Most people most of the time are pretending to be someone they are not. Day after day, you put on this mask, take off that one. Cheerful parent, hard worker, survivor, romantic partner, bully, victim, rebel, learner, helper. The costume changes are endless. Although it’s important to be able to smoothly transition through many roles in your life, it’s essential to remember these are just that: roles.
What percentage of the time are you simply you? Can you trace some steady, internal sense of identity throughout the day, your own persona pilot light? It’s amazing what people will do to avoid encountering themselves “out of costume,” no urgent tasks to complete, no drama to resolve, no flashing thoughts that demand immediate attention. Can you notice yourself in moments of simple awareness? You find yourself looking at a sunset–but you’re not thinking about the sky, not thinking through some other problem to solve. You’re just there, peaceful, observing, resting in the moment rather than fighting against it. This is you. This is your center. Everything else is just stuff happening.
About the Author: James Robbins is a licensed professional counselor, published author and co-owner of Dallas Whole Life Counseling. He has over 15 years of experience helping people in various life stages that come from a wide variety of cultural, economic and family backgrounds. Learn more about his background by clicking here.