Kasparov Has Nothing on You

In this blog, we have been suggesting that humans have brains which constantly think and churn out thoughts.

If you can notice your thoughts, evaluate them, and even chose which ones to focus on, it would imply that you must not be them.  Basically, your face cannot see itself (without using those confounded “mirror” things).

So you may be wondering then, what role do you play?  Where are you in all this?  If Descartes was wrong, and you are not your thoughts, then what are you?

The Chess Match

Think of something you care about.  A lot.  Something or someone you want to get closer to.  Now think about what gets in the way of getting close to, obtaining, or fulfilling that which you care so much about.

How difficult is the struggle between these two things?  If it is not a struggle which feels important to you, then try to think of something else which is important to you, and has stayed out of reach, or been difficult to obtain.

Now imagine there is a chess game between what you care about and whatever gets in the way. You likely want to win.  It my even be painful or frustrating as this game goes on over time.

Where do you see yourself in this match? Do you feel like an opponent playing the game?  Or do you imagine yourself as one of the pieces on the board?  Or many of the pieces?

Who Are You?

To answer the question of who “you” are in this chess game, we want to suggest that you are not the pieces, nor are you one of the players.  You are not even playing the game altogether.

Instead, you are something greater than the game itself,  something which is there before the game begins, and remains there after the game is over.  “You” are actually not impacted by the outcome of the game whatsoever.

Any guesses?

You are the chessboard itself.

Hi, You!

“You” are an “observing self”, a part which has been watching your life since your lights were turned on and you were made to exist.  It has been there the whole time, experiencing everything the world has thrown at you.  It cannot be broken, tarnished, taken away, or changed.  The game can go on or not, and You endure.  Emotions can come and go, and life can move about you, while You remain a steady and constant truth.

It turns out the observing self is very powerful and enduring.  Has that part of you ever gone anywhere?  Nope.  Has it changed based on what job you were doing or who you were with?  No again.  It’s your most basic, true inner self, the part that experiences your world.

Spending time with the observing self has been the goal of the exercises in these blog posts.  It is You that we have been giving a voice to, You that we have been trying to notice more often.  It is your observing self that is able to notice things objectively and without judgement, chose to taste your food fully, and shine on positive emotions and loved ones.

Welcome to You in real-time.