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The ancient philosophers were constantly seeking everywhere
for an answer to the eternal question “Who am I?”
Centuries of scientific discoveries and philosophical reasoning
have not really brought us any closer to a definite answer,
unless you follow a specific religious belief. In this latter
case we do have definite answers; but they are only valid
and acceptable if you accept the faith/belief that goes with
it. For example, Christians, Jews and Muslims would agree
that we know ourselves in the measure that we know who made
us, the creator God. As we understand God and his perfect
will so we also understand who we are.
But whether you are a believer or not the
question remains and it has become even more urgent in this
present time and age. In fact, though we live in a period
of great discoveries, inventions and innovations we are also
experiencing a time of great doubts, anxieties, uncertainties
and a general confusion of ideas and values. The concept of
a set, established truth has been eroded and nothing has been
put in its place leaving often people confused, depressed
and living lives that have no meaning and, quite frankly,
make no sense. We have substituted eternal truths for personal,
relative truths with all the negative consequences that follow
from that. In addition we live in modern, impersonal and rushed
societies where personal lives have lost any relevance and
meaning. All this explains why today we have seen a dramatic
increase of suicides, of people suffering of drugs and alcohol
addictions, the spiralling number of broken relationships
and people living lonely lives. These are also the reasons
behind people feeling more and more frustrated and depressed
and the astronomical number of people taking antidepressant
preparations every day (over one and a half million in the
UK just last year!). Something is drastically wrong!
Very simply… we do not know who and what we are. Try
and ask some of your contacts this question: “Who are
you really?” The only thing you will get is blank faces,
vague answers and most possibly laughter and a look as if
you are the weird one! Yet, there is no way we can even attempt
to change ourselves for the better unless and until we first
know what we have to change. Put simply, how can you change
yourself if you do not even know who and what you are? It
is a bit like having to repair one of the many machines in
our homes of today and not knowing what that particular machine
really does.
Is there any way then that we can ‘know
ourselves’? Yes, there is. But it depends on your desire
to invest time and effort (and some money too!) to find out.
If you are too rushed off your feet… well, good luck
with your life; but you will probably die not having a clue
as to who you were meant to be and what were you meant to
do. If instead your life is far too important to waste then…
read on, you are at the doorway of a new and great discovery.
There is no secret here, as you are the best person to know
yourself. You see, you can be at the same time your worst
enemy and… your best friend. But it is up to you.
The problem for many of us is that when
we think about knowing ourselves we have no clue as to what
to do, how to do it and when to do it. And rather than taking
time to find out… we simply let things go on and on,
day after day, with no change and no hope of any improvement.
But that is where I come in as you will read later. The important
thing right now is that you make today a clear and conscious
decision about your life: is my life worth something to me?
Do I really want to reach my goals and fulfil my dreams? Then,
how much time and effort am I prepared to invest in it? Only
you have the answer! But that answer can change your life,
for ever!
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