Dear Seeker,

"Don't seek yourself. Dare to be yourself."

~ Guy Finley

Excerpted from "The Secret of Letting Go" (pg 161)

Special exercise: Be yourself

A friend of mine in this journey of self-discovery recently reminded me of an exercise which never fails to trigger deep insights. The exercise is to simply be yourself. On the surface this may not even seem like an exercise -- what am I if I'm not myself in every moment? But closer examination reveals that we are rarely (if ever) at ease in our own bodies and minds, let alone with others. The feeling of tension -- both physically and mentally -- is so pervasive in our days that we have long accepted this underlying discomfort as being "the norm." So much so that it's actually painful when we do try to relax! As strange as it seems, I must work at being myself. This is actually done by refusing to be what is not myself. Refusing to cover up my mistakes. Refusing to pretend to be happy, or to agree with another's crudeness or negativity when I know they are out of line. Refusing to compromise myself for approval or some sort of reward. "Dare to be yourself." The temporary pain you may feel over losing something in the eyes of the world actually gains you entrance into a higher world where you no longer compromise yourself.