We Are Not It

We are that with which we identify. If we can observe something, it means we are not that which is being observed.

This ability to observe is a key skill for fostering our own development. In the previous posting I speak of the hero's journey. In that posting I issue the invitation to don our armor and weapons as we answer the call to adventure. One of the ways we can defend ourselves and slay the dragons we confront on our inner journey is to identify with our soul--the inner witness or observer. As we uncover aspects of ourselves that we may find troubling, we are to remember that if we are able to observe those things within us it indicates that we are not those characteristics. The thoughts or emotions we uncover may be within us, but the fact that we are able to look at them means they are not us.

The ability to detach and observe frees us from being controlled by that which we are observing. By separating ourselves from that which is being observed, we are then in a position to consciously decide whether or not to act on our emotions or thoughts. They no longer control us. We are now in control. This expansion of consciousness is a crucial aspect of our spiritual development. The ultimate goal of our development is to identify with Spirit--the ground of all being. It is then that we discover who we really are.