Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won't die. You will come to life. And don't be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it's their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Coming to life
Self-definition (and presentation) is a big obsession with a lot of people. I love how Eckhart says we "won't die" if we give this up!!
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This is beautiful! And so true (as I'm discovering)! There's so much more time when I let my self-definitions go. I also don't feel as if I'm burdened by trying to figure everything about myself out. And this means that I don't feel compelled to figure others out, either; what a joy! Thanks for sharing this quote!
ReplyDeleteYet as I "go on the market" again this year I'm spending a great deal of time defining myself as a scholar and teacher. It is exhausting. And difficult. Yet useful, actually. And part of an important maturation process. Perhaps the key is to be able to embrace both views, a transcendent undefinable self and a worldly practically definable one.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this, ellie!
ReplyDeleteThis is really good; thanks for posting it.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn