This is just a reminder that as we move into winter. Winter is the time of hibernation and transformation. It is a time for diving deep within and rebirth.
Winter is a time of four primary questions. What do you want to change? Who are you? What’s your passion? What do you want to do about it?
Early Winter… Evaluation
The place to start is a quick evaluation and review of the past growing season. What went well? What didn’t go well? And what do you want to do about it? Because if we do not do this evaluation, we’re going to plant the same damm garden.
Half of the life is figuring out what you don’t want to do. And the other half of life is figuring out what you want to do? And this is where the question comes in “what is your passion?” What do you love to do… what are your passions, dreams, and joys? What do you want to do… to become? What is your meaning and purpose for being?
Introspection
Winter is the natural time to hibernate, to go inside and work with the gardener. To introspect, asking important questions. The most important question is “who am I?” This question orients you to who you are? It’s not what you are or where you have been or what has happened?
Mid Winter… Who vs. What
Only you can answer this question. It may take a while. It’s not an event, but a process of discovery. This question orients you to what you aspire to be, to become your meaning and purpose. The reason to exist! Many people never asked themselves this question. Subsequently, they are led around by their nose (i.e., fears, demons, and anxieties). And chased around by their fears, demons, and anxieties. It’s hellish and they are in hell. Eventually, they become sick and tired of being sick and tired. And ask, “what the hell?” OMG something has got to change! And at first, they go about making changes… in jobs, wives/husbands, different towns, different drugs, meditation, yoga, friends, etc. but it’s the same dead end. And they are stuck again. This is because they fail to ask the essential question of “who am I?” This is not a “what” question. The beginning of genuine change lives in the self; asking “who am I?” Though the question of “who am I” versus “what am I” is similar. But the difference is significant. For example, what am I; results in husband, wife, victim, boss, etc. The “what am I” question leads to labels, boxes, diagnosis, etc. Which, despite being descriptive and correct are limiting and constraining.
The Who
If you want to change from being chased around, or led around by the nose by your fears, demons, and anxieties, you must ask that question of “who am I?” It is not a simple question. It’s a question that eliminates or peels away false pretenses or assumptions of a person’s self-identity. And it’s a question to ask repeatedly. There are constant answers of “if I am not only this or that… who am I?” It takes rigor and earnest willingness to examine oneself; the good, the bad and the ugly.
The “who am I” is not a straightforward question to answer. It may take some time. The “who am I” has more capacity, specifically the ability to change, to go beyond the descriptive labels of “what.” It presumes the ability to be self-determined, to be self-evident and to be sovereign. Which is not determined by situation, circumstance, definition, models, or metaphors. Nor by others’ opinions, definitions, and projections. Thus, the foundational question of “who am I” eventually reveals as “I am.” The “I am” is a declarative statement that carries the weight of being.
The What
The secondary or lesser question of “what am I” while being important, it is constrained and relative to the environment or situation. It is limited to being descriptive based on definitions, models, theories, and metaphors. Which describe processes, reactions, behaviors, cascades of events, etc. Often what we become results from a person’s position of societal, class and economics factors, DNA, nature versus nurture, etc. Without doubt these influence our perception of ourselves. But these factors are merely accoutrements; the glittery rags to which we have identified ourselves to be amongst others. These are the masks, accoutrements, and roles that we play in the theater of life. We mistake the theatrical play and our role as our “real” self. Forgetting that we can change our role at any time. We forget “who” we are.
My Experience of Who
By asking “who am I” in a flotation tank quickly resulted in a life-changing experience. I peeled off the layers of the onion (accoutrements). Diving deep into my past, could see various parts of my life that led up to me being who (really what) I thought I was. I went beyond my perceptions of myself. Realizing the who I was… is the “I am” declarative. The “I am” declarative enables one to orient how to “Be.” The “I am” declarative statement is sovereign and creative. No longer is a person hampered by the shackles of only being able to respond. Or to be merely a result of the cascading processes, e.g., neuro-biological chemical processes, cognitions, behaviors that can only respond to life’s situations, environment, and a priori condition. All of this is mere conjecture, academic theories, perspectives, empirical data, and metaphor. But they are not the subjective experience of “I am.”
The Declarative
Of course, knowing who and what you are, you can respond and interact with life. But knowing yourself as “I am,” you can create your life. You choose how to interact and respond with life from a place of being sovereign. When you claim your sovereignty, you recognize you have a choice to move beyond just reacting or responding. You declare and create. The “I am” statement is the God statement. A statement of the alpha and omega; a statement of the infinite.
The next question is what do you love? What is your passion, dreams, joys, bliss, etc.? Or another way to look at it is what is your meaning and purpose for being, for existing… to Be! The verb of being is the self-evident noun of to Be.
Discovering your passion, meaning and purpose provides orientation to Be. It gives you direction. It becomes your orientation to life… to Be! Thus, the audacious statements such as “I am the light, the way, bliss, love, joy,” etc. is not some archaic religious reference, but a statement of existence; a statement of life… your life… your being.
What To Do
The third question of “what do you want to do about it?” Is a question of focus. It helps determine where to begin, the next step to flow with life. On planet earth, we have the framework and process of cycles and seasons. This is intuitive and we see this everywhere and every day with the movement of the sun, moon, stars, plants, birth, death and birthing anew.
With these three simple but deep questions of “who am I… what is your passion and what are you want to do about it?” Provides a strategic, meaningful, and purposeful position in which to execute (operationalize) your sovereignty, your beingness, and your ability to be. These three questions are doable and will make a significant impact on your life. You will no longer be a victim of circumstances. You will be a king/queen, a god/goddess… in and of the divinity of life. It may not be easy, but you will be a sovereign creator of your experience, i.e., your life.
It Gets Easier
This is just a gentle reminder of winter’s work. Your introspective work with you, the gardener. Use this muted time of winter’s hibernation to get busy. There’s a lot to do… but it is unseen. Winter’s work is the most important work that you do all year. It is the transformation from death to life.
And as you become more accustomed to asking and answering the question of who am I? What’s my passion? And what do I want to do about it? It becomes easier to recognize. It becomes a routine. You recognize it as a daily opportunity. And moment to moment are merely opportunities to declare who you are. Knowing who you are (I am), it becomes easy to figure out what to do and how to be in the daily situations and flow of life. It just takes a split second… a moment to ask “who am I? What’s my passion? And what do I want to do about this?” This beingness… to “be” is beyond merely being a reactive victim. You learn, recognize, and become a divine creative sovereign. The only remaining question is… “what shall you create?” (The “what” is still important, but it is not the primary or foundational question.)
Late Winter… Finding the Germinated Seed
Late winter is the search for the seed that has germinated. The seed comes to life and grows in your fertile imagination. You are the soil that nourishes the germinated seed. And you flow as the garden, the tomato plant, and the gardener of your life.
Side Note: Manifestation, be mindful of what you wish for. The seeds that you sow, germinate, plant in the late winter and early spring become an abundant reality. Have a wonderful winter.
Blessings!
Tim