If I call myself this, can I be that?
As humans we love to label ourselves as something. I am a banker, I am a salesperson, I am a doctor, or a lawyer. I am unemployed, I am searching for work, I am traveling, I found my career. I am married, I am single, I am a hopeless romantic, I am exploring. I am Catholic, I am Jewish, I am Muslim, I am a Buddhist, I am an atheist. We hear labels like this all of the time. Regardless of where you go I am sure you will end up in a conversation with somebody talking about labels they use to identify them self. The human ego loves to use labels to define it’s existence. That by somehow labeling ourselves as something, we belong in a certain category.
When we are born, immediately we are labeled with a gender. If you are a boy you are supposed to like blue and if you are a girl you are supposed to like pink. As we grow if you are a male you are supposed to be into sports and if you’re a girl you should be doing ballet. As a guy you are supposed to get a job doing physical labor, while the ladies cut hair. As of 2018 we are questioning these gender roles, but often we are still labeled by whether we identify with masculine or feminine interests. Often humans miss out on the full experience because their ego tells them it is not ok to engage in something of the opposite gender role. It is perfectly ok to partake in something that may be considered feminine and still identify as a strong masculine male, likewise it is ok to be passionate about something that is perceived for manly men and still be a divine feminine flower. As we begin to free ourselves from the shackles of our egotistical labels we become free to experience our human existence on all corners of the spectrum.
As a child I was raised in a Catholic household. We were never over the top Jesus fanatics, but we did attend church pretty frequently. I went to Sunday school and ended up making my confirmation. I remember the Catholic religion never fully resonating with my human experience. I remember vividly the teachings, stating that only this religion is correct and this is the only way to the eternal paradise called heaven. All other religions were supposed to be discredited as invalid. Countless people have died over this belief that their spiritual beliefs are correct and that everyone else’s should not exist. As I grew older I began to question my religious practices, and started learning from various cultures. What I learned is that we are all connected, and we all have our own way of reaching our definition of eternal peace. By separating from your religious label you are able to dive into cultures and belief systems from all over the world. I continually find new pieces of information that resonate with my spiritual practice. Sometimes they are Buddhist teachings, sometimes I learn from Shamans in Peru, sometimes I learn from people that do not believe in a religion at all. Every belief system has something to offer, and by not labeling myself as one I am free to learn all that the world has to offer. If there is a religion that resonates with your being fully then please choose it, but please be open minded enough to receive the teachings from others.
As we travel through the school system we are expected to land in a career that we will use to determine if we end up successful in this lifetime. Our self worth and our life style choices are all believed to be a reflection of our career choice. We are told to go to a school, and focus on getting a good career. Careers are given a monetary value, and the higher the pay the more we are worth we believe. What if instead of looking at careers as a destination we shifted our focus and looked at them as a journey. It is ok to not know which direction your’ career is headed, as long as you are learning along the way. The more career fields you are able to work in the more you will learn as a human. The more you learn, the less you need to rely on hiring someone else to do your work for you. Often times limiting beliefs are created and as humans we believe we are not capable of doing something outside of our career path. As someone working in the financial field there is no reason why I cannot learn to change my oil, or fix my sink when it gets clogged. I am free from limiting beliefs, and I am free to learn any trade or any skill as the need to possess that knowledge presents itself along my path. I choose not to egotistically believe that my self worth is associated with my job title or how much it pays per hour. The focus is on the knowledge that the job offers and accumulating the skills to create a beautiful human existence along the way.
“I am not on the inside looking out, I am not on the outside looking in, I am in the dead fucking center looking around. — Kendrick Lamar”
I choose to not identify with the left or the right. I choose to not identify with any type of belief system. I choose to enjoy all things masculine or feminine. I choose to not tie my self worth to my job title, and you can to! When we live a life in the center we become free of attachments to specific lifestyle choices. By not labeling myself as any certain type of person there are no expectations for the flow of my life. I am creating success in the exact amount of time it is supposed to take. I am learning daily and deepening my spiritual practice with knowledge from all cultures. I am not afraid to try new things and put myself in a position where I may feel uncomfortable. This all stems from choosing to live a centered life free from labels. Quite simply I am having a human experience and I am free to experience it all.
