Over the course of our lifetimes,
Each of us has been molded and shaped by the influence of family,
Society,
And culture.
We complete school.
We enter the workforce.
We accumulate all of the accolades that signify accomplishment.
And at some point along this journey,
We might sense that something is missing.
We may even start to feel frustrated by the hollow promises of security offered by our culture,
Or confined by the very environment that shaped us.
We might find ourselves asking,
Is this all there is?
The truth is that throughout our lives,
Most of us have simply been handed a hard outer shell to don as a uniform.
We can call this the persona,
The mask we wear to fit into the society in which we were brought up.
All the while,
On the inside we yearn to shed these constrictive sheaths of conditioning to discover who we truly are and what our potential has to hold.
And this is where self-exploration comes into play.
The entire idea of psychospiritual exploration,
Including psychotherapy,
Is to slowly peel back the layers of cultural conditioning,
Discover our unique fingerprint,
And create ourselves anew.
This inner exploration allows us to ask ourselves,
Who am I,
Really?
Through this inquiry,
We cultivate an ever-expanding and more refined sense of awareness of ourselves over time.
With mindfulness,
We begin to connect with a deeper part of the psyche that observes our thoughts,
Emotions,
And experiences.
This is often referred to as the observing self.
And these practices of inquiry and mindfulness help us to recognize that the patterns that have been passed down to us by family,
Society,
And culture,
Again,
Aren't really our own.
We become able to courageously face these uncomfortable truths and limiting identities.
We discover that most of our thoughts aren't truly our own,
But it's likely that they have been shaped by what we've watched,
Listened to,
And absorbed over the years.
We further discover that most of our emotional responses aren't truly our own,
But are conditioned through observing our families and surroundings.
And we discover that most,
Fundamentally,
We are simply human beings,
Children of nature who were born as the result of millions of years,
Billions of years,
Of cosmic unfolding.
So then,
With the realization that we are inheritors of millions of years of evolution and adaptation,
How will we choose to honor and make use of this extraordinary inheritance?
In what way will we contribute to this great cosmic dance?
What kind of people do we wish to become?
The remarkable thing about this evolutionary unfolding is that each of us has been gifted a unique set of traits,
Interests,
And passions waiting to be discovered.
Our primary task,
Then,
Is to craft a lifestyle in which the unique version of ourselves can be fully and optimally expressed,
Free from the constraints of fear.
This process of becoming an embodiment of our innermost values and interests is what Jung called individuation,
A wonderful creative journey in which we have the opportunity to sculpt our lives like the works of art that they truly are.
As we develop our unique character to be in alignment with our highest values,
We begin to recognize that individuality doesn't necessarily separate us from the collective.
Rather,
Every trait,
Talent,
And passion we possess serves a purpose within a larger order of humanity and the cosmos.
With this realization,
We become able to use our unique gifts in service to those around us,
Moving beyond self-interest towards a deeper sense of purpose and connection.
This stage of life is often referred to as self-transcendence,
And it's where the true substance of life reveals itself.
We are truly reconnecting to what Jung called the capital-S self,
Or the greater collective consciousness that encompasses all of life.
Self and other again become one single interconnected whole.
We are reuniting with all of life.
As we continue to experience life in the form of human beings,
We are truly meant to be unique individuals living in harmony with each other in nature,
Just as individual cells work together for the body to thrive.
We are all inseparable parts of a greater whole of life.
This is who we truly are.
May you have the courage to expand beyond fear,
Embrace your individuality,
And contribute to the world in your own unique way.
Thank you for being here.
