Who is “I”? This is a loaded question and many times the answer depends on the perspective of the person that day, their circumstances, and environment. How the person answers also depends on what area of their life they think the question applies to…wife, accountant, maid, volunteer, board member. The theme throughout all of these answers is that we are defining “I” by what we hear from others, what we think, and what we feel. And the crazy thing is that none of these things are real and they are not what defines “I.”
Now you may think I am crazy after that statement, but I can assure you I am not. The “I” at the core of each of us is simply our spirit of love. Each of us is born with this same spirit at the deepest part of our being. Unfortunately, over time (and it happens pretty quickly), our will, emotions, mind, and body become our reality. We believe we are defined by our physical state, our mental capacity, and our emotions. This is not true! This is the biggest lie that we as humans have to overcome. Once we realize those categories do not define “I,” we can move past them and concentrate on tapping into our spirit.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not an easy task. We have to ignore the voices in our head (because they are not from “I”), the messages from society, and the naysayers. We have to be willing to walk the path less traveled. I constantly remind myself that I am probably headed in a more enlightened direction if I see the majority of the people moving the opposite way. Sometimes the journey feels lonely and isolated.
But then we tap into our spirit and we feel the calmest, most connected sense of joy and peace. When we experience these moments, sometimes only for split-seconds of time at first, we will do anything to reconnect with our “I” as we realize this is our purpose; to connect with this “I” and show others how they can connect with theirs.
The bottom line is that if we are listening to our emotions, what we can verify with our five senses, or what our physical body is telling us, we are not listening to “I.” In order to listen to “I” we must be very still, quiet, and open to receive. Being close to nature is a good way to tap into our “I.” Why? Because we are returning to the place our “I” was originally created. And anywhere that will stamp out the noise of the world and our own mind, is a great place to be.
Charlie Miller is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and master basketball trainer. He has owned his business, ATTACK Basketball Academy for 7 years and is passionate about mentoring the youth of today. You can contact him by email at charlie@attackbball.com.
