Hope you had a restful year-end break. As I enjoyed a relaxed time with family and friends, a few conversations did go past the usual reminiscing of pre-Covid life and how much the world has changed since. One thing became quite clear from that. While a lot has changed, at a deeper level we remain sorely stuck in old ways.

We have proven our resilience, but we still react only to short-term challenges. We just don’t seem to have the will to examine the fundamental and long-term issues. During the crisis, we discovered our ability to reflect and be purposeful. But we have quickly lost it in the rush to get back to the life as we knew it. Consumerism wins over conservation, convenience over what’s right, and instant gratification over mindful living. Again! Over the past two years, we resolved to be kinder, more empathetic and loving. But that resolve doesn’t seem to last against our strong wiring to be self-centred and egoistic.

All these are symptoms of a deeper illness. It’s our poor and deteriorating relationship with ourselves and by extension with others and our ecosystem. It is in this context, it’s worth asking the two age-old questions at this time. Who am I and What am I doing here.

Who am I?

Our superficial lives are an outcome of our superficial understanding of ourselves. When we relate to ourselves only as physical and emotional beings, we wish to satisfy only our physical and emotional needs. Who are you, really? Beyond the identity of your professional role, nationality, cultural values, religious beliefs, family and personal interests? Going past your age, education, intelligence level and personality traits? Beyond your physical body, unending thoughts and ever-changing emotions?

As we continue seeking and keep unpeeling the layers of our perception, we get to the truth of our existence. We are the everlasting Awareness. This Awareness is what lets us experience different thoughts and emotions. However, we associate ourselves to those thoughts and emotions and the mind which generates them. This Awareness is akin to the movie screen on which different scenes are projected and the spectators get engaged with those scenes as if they are the reality. The only reality is the unchanging screen, the Awareness, the rest are simply projections of our mind.

With this self-knowledge, we feel more relaxed and at peace. It also reduces our constant urge for more – success, recognition, love or happiness. That automatically starts arresting the social ills of consumerism, corruption and self-centredness. Besides, we start to realise that this Awareness is what everyone and everything is. With that realisation, we can begin to discover the oneness and interconnectedness of us all. We are then not only kinder to others but also more caring of our environment.

What am I doing here?

The second key area worth exploring is to question the relevance of our typical daily pursuits. What’s the point of it all? Are we here simply to be born, get the best education possible, land a good job, find a life partner, build a home, procreate, enjoy, struggle, get old and pass away? Besides the roles we have to play in our chosen path, is there a larger purpose of our existence?

I believe we are not physical beings occasionally having a spiritual experience, but are spiritual beings having a physical experience. What if our spiritual being chooses to take the physical form so it can grow and evolve. And chooses the circumstances of our physical life so we can learn the lessons we need to for our eternal journey. Whether the lesson is around self-realisation, dissolving our ego, learning detachment, loving unconditionally, being less judgmental or being more compassionate. However, when we take the physical form, we have what I call ‘spiritual amnesia’. We no longer know what we are here for. And that’s what we need to rediscover.

What do you think you need to learn within yourself for your spirit to grow in this lifetime? Building this clarity can be a real game changer. The answer to this question would not only take you away from futile and superficial goals, but also make your life more meaningful. Besides, it will automatically propel you to go beyond your self-centred self, in service of others.