Saturday, March 13, 2010

Finding The Authentic Self and Living the Authentic Life

by Thomas Kwan.

I cannot agree more with a complete description of the authentic self written in the book A Life in Balance: Nourishing the four roots of true happiness by Dr. Kathleen Hall; "Discovering your authentic self; your authentic self is when you feel at one with your Self and your experience. It’s your experience of energy, power, and connection. The ancients used to call this 'the place of knowing’. You know you are aware and fully present. This is an experience of fullness and communion. It feels as if you are living in a state of grace. It is your original Self before you were influenced by the effects of your primary family, society, school, and other experienced that began to define and shape your life. Many of us have experienced fleeting of our authentic self.” (35).

The interpretation of passage 13 of Lao Tze’s Tao Te Ching by Timothy Freke and Judy Piatkus is; “Believing you are your personality, is the source of all your troubles. What does it mean, believing you are your personality, is the source of all your troubles? The reason you experience troubles is because you think you are just a persona. If you saw through this - you'd have no problems. Stop clinging to your personality, and see all beings as yourself. Such a person could be trusted with the whole world.”

Most of our own insecurities and quarrels with others are because of our fragile ego/personality. The ego does not want to lose because of the false pride. It feels isolated when others do not agree, support, or challenge our view. The ego/personality craves constant attention from others in the hope to authenticate its existence. The ego/personality is constantly checking for a better me which tends to shift in search of acceptance by self and/or others hence it is unstable at times. This search for a better me ends the moment we find our authentic self and only then will the process of inner peace begins.

To learn about your authentic self and live an authentic life, contact Thomas Kwan.