“Strong sense of self.” I never really understood that phrase until today. I thought it meant self-improvement…improving the self. When I really listen to the phrase “sense of self,” I now hear the word “sense.” For me this means using the senses–see, hear, smell, touch, taste–towards the self. Not improving the self, but sensing the self.
So how do I sense the self? The same way I sense the rest of the world. If I can hear the birds singing, I can also hear my stomach singing. If I can see the grass drying, I can also see the skin on my hands drying. If I can feel somebody’s muscles relaxing, I can also feel my muscles relaxing.
I think the goal is not to “know thyself” but to sense thyself. To observe the self without judgment. To be fascinated with different parts of your body, your mind, your soul. To absorb. To notice.
When we try to know, it is very easy for us to spiral into an abyss of judgment. “This is good. That is bad. This is ugly.”
When we sense, we just notice the sensations. How the light shines. How the sound reverberates. Nothing is good or bad, it just is.
I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to start strongly sensing the self.