Our Identities and Russian Nesting Dolls

We spend the first half of our lives learning to live in society and the second half unlearning everything we've been taught.

I don't know where that quote comes from or even if it was said exactly that way, but it's one of my favorites now that I've come to realize that so much of my suffering (physical symptoms of dis-ease as well as emotional baggage) stems from decades of being someone I'm not meant to be. 

We all have our identities - mother, daughter, wife, friend, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, boss, employee… Then, add to that our traits or labels - age, gender, race, job title(s), religion, political affiliation, ethnicity… Plus our family members - partner/spouse, children, parents, siblings… And then throw on top of that our possessions - home, car, computer, bed, pets (if you didn't consider them family)…  And we end up with a VERY HEAVY LOAD to carry around with us!

Along with this heavy load comes pressure. Pressure to live up to all those labels, pressure to embody those traits given to us, pressure to please those we love, and pressure to hold on to those prized possessions. The pressure becomes dis-ease that often manifests in the physical body and through our emotions.

You know those Russian nesting dolls with layers of hollow figures housing increasingly smaller replicas of themselves? It's not until you open up all the containers and get to the center that you find the original solid doll. That solid original is you. She is your true essence, beyond ego and identity.

So how do we get back there? How can we get back our soul connection? The words surrender and faith are thrown around in spiritual circles as the keys to finding this lost inner peace. But these words are often just concepts that are easier spoken than embodied. 

For me, surrender starts with awareness. I just begin to notice these identities and, over time, the layers begin to feel inauthentic to me. They butt up against my true nature. I begin to realize what it is that truly brings me joy in life, not for the benefit of others or to display the "me" that society expects to see. Eventually, anything inauthentic can no longer survive as I shed the heavy weight of the layered hollow dolls and find the courage to reveal my true self. 

THIS WEEK: Simply notice the heavy load you're carrying and allow this awareness to show you what identities feel inauthentic to your true nature.