Thursday, 06 November 2008
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Who Are You
By The Who
see relatedWho Are You Anyway?
I love looking over previous posts from time to time and educating myself on the direction in which I flow. What's that song..."It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll." I want to share this one more time as an offering to a better understanding among "We the People". It's probably best to first look at our own "Me, myself and I". For those who read this before, maybe take a moment to ask yourself where you are now compared to where you were then. I did and more perspective was set loose in my mind and heart.
For your consideration:
I was clearing out some files and ran into one with notes that I took at a writers conference. One of the workshops I attended was called: Characters Looking for an Author with author Jean Brody. Here is one of the notes I made:
Knowledge of self. Most important your flaws. Know thyself to the point of being horrified.
Now I'm not sure, but I think Jean said this, because I'm not one to transpose yourself into thyself. Nope! Wouldn't be my words.
I love this concept though, because I have on several occasions among friends said that once I got over being horrified with myself, I began to truly know myself. Maybe it came unconsciously from this moment at the workshop all those years ago. Be careful who you hang out with, their words might make their way into your mouth. On second thought, that's not such a bad idea with this one.
Seriously though, as we make breakthroughs in our search or return to the place we call I, it is probably very necessary to know the darkest or hidden side of ourselves. To expose for your eyes only, the tender underbelly of your psyche. Take it to lunch and have a good talk and ask why, then toss out, forgive or allow the healing to continue or maybe just begin. To be able to not suppress this side, but to be willing to sit with your flaws and then emerge like the butterfly. Now with the balance of understanding the light and the dark, you can truly soar.
On a side note it also said: If someone annoys you, watch them. Now invent a past, a future and trouble.
I remember reading Harlan Ellison's bio and he referenced that growing up as a Jewish boy in a unfriendly neighborhood gave him lots of characters that he could throw off cliffs. Does that turn it into a positive? Hmmm.
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Comments (39)
Oh, I've asked why, and the I just winks at me. As for others, I wish them no troubles, but do like to make up silly stories about them.
Another blogger commented on my site: We think we know everybody else and yet we do not know ourselves.
@Zeal4living - I think it's because many consider this process work rather than a release from the binds that hold us back from ourselves. There is also that most uncomfortable part that I refered to as being horrified, that we need to journey through in order to reach our best selves. Does the word work make it unreachable? Let's find a word that helps it evolve into main stream consiousness.
hey jayne i'm so sorry that i've been MIA but have been so busy that i can't even sleep. i'm back though. message me sometime
Very intriguing, yet so true.
I'm gonna keep this in mind.
Thanks for the words of wisdom.
like this entry. in a recent workshop, one of the youth brought up another important aspect of self-realization: self-mastery. but we can't embark on that task w/o first being to thine own self, true.
p.s. cute hand puppets :)
@peluche1980 - I think it's important to be able to look myself in the eyes and I mean look deeply into my baby browns and be content with or willing to face who I see looking back. Hello ego. How's it going? Willing? Okay then, lets get on out there and live.
@Zeal4living - interesting point.
knowing yourself is the key to having a perspective on all of your relationships
yay! this is better than a thought for the day..oh good choice of music too. good day to you ..these lines before me create a blissful state of mind..
how this knowing one(thyself,myself ) ourselves to the point of being horrified opens the soul to allow the spirit free reign i do know , yet to the point of being horrified this oh yes has taked parts of of me and thrown me off the highest cliffs...
you post here is thinker, i wish to view life more through what other people see, peace to u
@SamsPeeps - Thanks Peeps. It's been years for me too. When I went I was already in my 30's so I was grateful for the perspective. The automatic writing workshop was the best for writers block. You write none stop. I remember writing over and over: What do I want to write?, What do I want to write? Then your mind just clicks in and your off with some wonderful stuff. Thanks for the rec. May inspiration follow you everywhere.
@cre13 - Hey! How's the credit building going? Thanks for stopping by.
@RushmoreJ - You said it! Thanks for saying Yourself over Thyself. haha
@jstickmann - Peace right back 'atcha' stickman! I've looked down that cliff many times myself and found a higher consciousness everytime. Thanks for the rec.
@Jaynebug - an old friend of mine used to say, "Vanessa, you don't GET writer's block. You WRITE ABOUT writer's block." I've done the same thing, free writing... and sometimes, it starts with "What do I want to write about?" Some of those have turned into my "most popular posts" here!
@Jaynebug - ...and of course I rec'd this! I think that the more writers who see this kind of thing, the better!!!
@Jaynebug - oh it's coming along ... got 13,663 now so slowly but surely it's building up! You're welcome
@SamsPeeps - So true!
Knowing myself and those closest to me is one of the things I do strive hard to do... because I also think that you can never truly LOVE yourself (or others) until you know all the good and the bad and decide to love anyway.
One of the things I find especially helpful, not just as a Catholic, but as a person trying to grow and be more than I am, is Confession (or the Sacrament of Reconciliation, if you want to be formal). I'm not talking about the doctrinal issue here, but the emotional and moral. It really helps me to bring myself into line knowing that what I do and say (and even what I think about if I let the thoughts stir me to action) will have to be told to someone else!
I'll find myself in situations where I'd like to retaliate for an unkind word, or express impatience with something that's not really my business, I'll try to rationalize an action or a word, and I'll hear my confessor's voice asking "why did you do that? what was going through your mind when you said that?" Not every time, but many times, it's enough to make me stop, examine my motives (which often DO horrify me- I hate to admit even to myself that I have a selfish, mean streak), and redirect.
With the money you spent on the workshop...you could have bought beer.
Then there wouldn't be a dark side to anything.
Just a thought.
We talked a lot about self-actualiztion and knowing yourself in psychology. We also discussed whether we ARE somebody or if we create ourselves as we go along.
All fun things to talk and think about.
I have come to know myself more than I am willing to admit to myself.
@Shirlann - Bravo. My sentiment exactly. I keep learning and evolving. because I'm seeking inside first. I'll stand up and look injustice right in the face, but I will communicate with common ground before me. Why? Because that's what I found inside of me. The need and understanding for love to make a difference. As it flows, so does patience, service, humor, flexibility in progress, support toward our fellow human.
@MlleRobillard - Oh that's the voice in the shower. haha. Seriously Jess. I like that we can speak to another in truth/confession although I am not Catholic, I'm a child of God and have valued telling myself the truth even when I didn't like what came out of my mouth or consideration of what I was thinking. I like to admit to myself that I can be just as hard or mean streaked as others and control, analyze, then move beyond it. That means it can be done, and others can acheive it. There's hope for us all! It's possible for humanity to be great!
@Bricker59 - Balance my friend. Balance. All beer and no connection to creativity would make Lyne a very lost lady.
@SunnyMitsu - I think we are somebody who is creating and defining as we go. What we bring with us as we burst into this space, can be nurtured, distroyed, stomped upon, supported, redined, exploited, actualized etc. Free Will is our driving force. Choices make things happen.
@sarahb_86 - I've had those days too.
it's always difficult to shine a flashlight into the dark corners of your soul. who knows what you will find :o *tiptoes trepidatiously into the cave*
@tim00 - Keep moving forward. The closer you get the smaller the monster. I got your back. haha