Identity theft

identity
It occurred to me today that what most of us think of as ego is really just our attachment to an identity. We cling tightly to the idea of who we are, and what we are. An ideal that we create over time that began in infancy. It can seem like an impossible task to try letting go of this view of ourselves. And while we may not love all that we are or have done, most of us believe that it has taken a great deal of struggle and learning to produce the person which we see in the mirror today. But this my friends is a complete and utter delusion!

Ego is this idea that we are separate from other beings, from all other life. It supports the idea that we have worth because of our uniqueness and wisdom. And without this idea of specific value, perhaps we think that our lives would have no meaning or significance. But this would be an even greater delusion.

Through my own direct experience I have begun to see that letting go of this identity that I perceive as “me”, actually opens up the limitless possibilities and greater understanding. This thinking is not that dissimilar from the old Native American saying “Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins”.
While we may each be at different places on our path, with different minds, the path is the same. Just as no two leaves on the tree are identical, we are all still apart of tree called life. Subject to the same birth, decay, and death. And yet a leaf never looks at the other and compares itself as better or worse, more developed or less. And I think that once we begin to see ourselves as a beautiful part of this tree, we begin to let go of our identity. In this lies peace and tranquility, acceptance that this is life and nature, and we are blessed to be apart of all living things. We become closer to one another with the deeper understanding of our lives being contained in one breath.

Don’t let anyone steal your identity, simply give it away. It’s only baggage that serves no purpose.