Identity Transitions Anyone?

[mtlouie]

"Useless Eater and Proud!" I can see a t-shirt,

LOL!  Now THAT'S a t-shirt!!!!

I'll betcha that one would be a million-seller!

[spacecase0]

cobaltblue,
I sent you a message to your yahoo email,

[Spiderman23]

You guys could also try some John Locke if you a bit of free time. I find it pretty heavy stuff to muddle through, but I think I certainly helps.

http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/johnlocke/BOOKIIChapterXXVII.html

Besides all the philosophy, I try to remind myself that where I am now in the universe is a pretty improbable position, and that I should enjoy the sunshine while I can.

[gnosis]

Yeah, definitely feeling some weirdness.

I hate 9-to-5 jobs now, refuse to hold one anymore (at least, abroad). In the USA, I could handle it. Not sure why either.

Anyways, yeah, I'm having a rough time of it too.  You're not the only one. I have a few other ingredients mixed in there though, like living in a foreign land in a rough situation, but I think
it's all the same anyways.

[DasFlo]

We are living eternal spirits incarnate for a time.  We are here to learn and experience.  

What car you drive, what jobs you work at, what country you live in, how you dress - all this is nothing.  It is not who you are.  It's window dressing.  You cannot possibly be defined by such mundane things.  Yet this is what empire tells us, and tells us we are wrong if we dare question otherwise.  If you are having an identity crisis, you are challenging what the status quo tells you.  When you define yourself by what you have, what you have done, what you do and where you are, even what you look like, it's always possible to have that identity yanked away just by eliminating or changing those circumstances.  You are more than a body or experiences or thoughts.

We are spirits having a human experience.  We weave in and out of flesh, coming and going, but always existing.  We cannot truly die, only our bodies can die and wear out.  It's like driving a car - you get in, drive, the new car smell goes away, the car acquires miles and wear and tear, it costs more and more to repair it and one day it doesn't start up.  Then we get out and walk away  

Distasteful to have to resort to using a car as a metaphore, lol, on a peak oil and resource depletion website, but there you go!

I believe most of us chose to be here during this time to experience this transition.  You have chosen to be here for a reason (or had it chosen for you for a reason).  You will learn what you are supposed to learn.  But "who are you" is a good question to ask.

Read Carolyn Baker's book, "Sacred Demise", that might help you clarify your thoughts.  It addresses those questions that you are asking. 

Madison, for the record, I believe that you are spot on.
It's strange that I keep coming along books, movies and most importantly people that phrase these  ideas lately. Maybe I am just paying more attention.

As for identity crisis - there were times in the past where I struggled very hard with what, who and why I am.
I believed I found answers to those questions to the point of barely being functional in day-to-day life anymore.
I eventually found some answers, but the questions seem to keep shifting in meaning, or, focus maybe - which doesn't render my answers wrong, they just gradually stop sufficing.  Hopefully I, too, will arrive at a state where I can stop asking and start living. I try.

And since it can't be posted often enough, here's Bill Hicks telling us what life is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1RQmnSJoRg (External Embedding Disabled)

[ExRanger]

I have never understood why human beings are the only creatures that feel they need to justify their existence. You have as much right to a physical life here on earth as any other being and no need to justify it. Take your cue from  the animals and just BE. 

[Max und Moritz]

I have never understood why human beings are the only creatures that feel they need to justify their existence. You have as much right to a physical life here on earth as any other being and no need to justify it. Take your cue from  the animals and just BE. 

Uh, being the only sentient creatures blessed with the curse of a Jiminy Cricket conscience, especially the kind that keeps whispering "Ecological Footprint!" doesn´t help exactly 

What the others said: We are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

[cobaltblue]

Progress report from the internal trenches:

Many different sources, counselors, guides, suggest to me it's time to prepare for a vision quest of some sort.  I feel I'm needing to find a place to offload a dead perspective ("One of these days... I'm going to be FAMOUS!!!!! PONIES!! Yes!")

It's something that sort of served me for a long time, in the same way eating a whole German Chocolate cake did the trick as well.  Then I started to want more even after that.  Got me to 300 lbs and wanting to be dead.

I remember to give gratitude and ask how I can be of service.  Some days it's hard.  I'm a writer, and I haven't written in my creative journal for quite a while.  I got the idea to put it away for a time, but then I got sick.  And yes, my guides from other realms said that the 2 events were related.  So with a groan, I put the "koobeton" back in my satchel, but I've added the caveat I'm only going to write in it if the Flower above my head, that blue God hovering over me, sends something down.  Otherwise for the most part, I forget about it.

New roles are emerging, and I'm uneasy that I'll have awkward moments.  Change that is rough and ungraceful is on the horizon.  But at least there's a lot of light around it.

Carolyn Baker's book, as well as Christina Grof's The Thirst for Wholeness, Tom Brown's Awakening Spirits, Duane Elgin's The Living Universe and Thomas Berry's The Sacred Universe are all adding some strength into my proceedings.  But ultimately, I need to get in touch with the animal part of me alluded to by others, the part that just is, the part of me that isn't civilized but kinder.