A Question of Who We Are

It’s not about what we are but instead, who we are.

“Who are you?” our meditation teacher asks us at the start of class. His question takes me by surprise and I remain silent. Taking note of the silence in the room, he taps his chest with his finger.

“What’s in here, underneath the surface?” he asks indicating the area around his heart.

“I’m not interested in what society says you should be, but instead I want to know who you truly are. What drives you? What are your values? What defines your life?”

Although I did not realize it at the time, his intention was to increase our awareness of our thoughts and the resultant choices which shaped our lives. As a person with HSP traits, I continue to ask myself these questions on a frequent basis as a way of keeping myself centered on who I am rather than what I am.

While it’s easy to pin labels on ourselves because of our sensitivity in the face of societal expectations, labels simply indicate our inherent sensitive nature. They do not tell us who we truly are.

As HSP’s, we experience life with an intensity that only those who have experienced it can understand. What labels fail to show us is that at its core sensitivity is simply an increased awareness of the energy of the people and environment around us.

We have an intuitive nature which see beneath the surface and as a result have much more daily data to sift through.

So you may ask, what do we do with this heightened awareness of ours?

Chances are in some shape or form your sensitivity or heightened awareness is actually a gift to the people around you even though you may not be aware of it.

Some of us are great people to talk to; people often gravitate to us in times of need. We are the healers, artists, nurses, doctors, actors, teachers, social workers, musicians and writers who strive to make a difference because we feel and react to the energy of the world around us so acutely.

It is through our inherent empathy that our gifts finds their voices and then make their way through the world.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~ Pablo Picasso

It’s been many years since my meditation teacher asked me that question. But often, I am reminded of the increased awareness it created as I witness the actions which define the identities of the HSP’s around me.

Actions which remind me of the immortal words spoken by Judy Garland in the The Wizard of Oz; “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore; we must be over the rainbow.”

Pic credit by via Deflyne