Uncovering who you are is much like a sculptor creating their art.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. I created a vision of David in my mind and simply carved away everything that was not David.
-Michelangelo
Your essence, your very core being, simply is. There is no progress, no change in it. It is covered, hidden, by all of the garbage generated by the negative ego, but you are who you have always been. Enlightenment is simply about shoveling the dreck out of the way to uncover who you truly are.
You are that angel.
Set yourself free.
What are the things that hide you from yourself?
- * Those parts of other people, including your parents, that you have accepted as your own. Ideas, concepts, world views, negative thought patterns… Even intergenerational trauma. You have been affected by these things your entire life, and history absolutely needs to be remembered and respected. And it may not be you. It may be. No one but you can say, and to do that honestly, you will have to examine and remove those things that do not serve you.
* Events from the past that you have carried forward with you instead of leaving them where they belong; this includes resentments, blame (self-blame also), unresolved trauma, victim mentality, and any other form of wounding. Anything that was held on to instead of being processed. Process it now and hand it back to the past. I do not mean to infer that you can just snap your fingers and it will be gone. Uncovering who you are takes work. Holding on to those things serves no one, though.
* The opinions of others that you have allowed to subvert your own truth, including the negative (and positive) messages others have given you about yourself. Do not define yourself through the eyes of others. Listen for truths that can help you evolve, but make sure it’s truth and not someone else’s ego being uncomfortable and projecting onto you.
* The illusions of fear and lack. These are part of the illusion of the absence of the Divine. Does everyone have access to the safe security or abundance? No. I am talking about the internal messages of “you’re not enough”, “there’s not enough”, and “you will never be/have enough”. Those come from the negative ego, which is invested only in maintaining its control of your decisions. Expand your mind so you can expand your experience.
* Anything else generated by your negative ego that turns you away from who you are.
The more awareness you can have about these things, the easier it becomes to start letting go. Sometimes you need help, a guide, to sort through them, but the goal is, nonetheless, to let them go so that you can uncover your true self.
This post is part of a series called Monday Message, based on that day’s reflection from 365 Days to Enlightenment (authorized versions are currently out of print, working on a new edition). Check back next Monday for another one! You can also sign up for the Daily Message on my mailing list if you’d like to receive a new reflection every day. I also often post them to Instagram, if that’s a medium you enjoy.