Chapter 1: Embracing Your Existence

“Do not fear your being: feel your being.” The present moment is brimming with possibilities waiting to be realized. Our reality is a reflection of these potentials. The universe, stretched across time, showcases all the possibilities we've explored; it serves as our playground for experiencing life amidst diversity. You inhabit a shared reality that shapes your current existence.

Your choice of where, when, and as whom to be born has established certain frameworks for your life. While it’s easy to perceive these frameworks as limitations from within your incarnation, embracing them through love reveals that you chose them with total freedom and wisdom. This original choice is far less constraining than many believe. Accepting and loving your essence includes affirming that initial choice — the decision to experience this life as you.

If you're on the path of awakening, your purpose here is to explore the essence of who you are, remembering your connection to the divine, and to unfold from that awareness. While you may feel a connection to the unity of all existence, your individuality is not something to relinquish.

As you transition from a singular narrative to an endless array of stories, some form of definition will persist. The notion that you must evolve beyond your individuality negates the beauty of your birth choice. Ultimately, from a broader perspective, you embody the world. You are the divine, intertwined with every experience that has ever existed. Awakening means recognizing this unity with all beings; it’s not about abandoning your identity, but about realizing the collective within you.

Awakening signifies coming into life, not away from it. Connecting with the unity of existence does not mean forsaking your unique experiences. Instead, it’s about transforming your relationship with definition. Rather than viewing boundaries as constraints imposed from outside, you consciously choose them. In this awakening, while you maintain your identity, you no longer perceive those definitions as limitations because you recognize your role in their creation. This realization allows you to experience boundlessness within definition — it embodies the freedom of definition.

In this state, boundaries become choices rather than fears or restrictions; they create experiences that inspire you. This is precisely why you chose to exist as you.

Understanding what it means to awaken within a physical form involves recognizing the perfection in your choice of birth. Realizing that the boundaries you've encountered can be joyous if you cease to view them through the lens of fear, and instead create them with love and your sovereign will. Awakening allows you to see previously limiting elements of your birth choice as gifts that shape your experiences, leading you to this moment of awakening.

Before awakening, we often perceive our boundaries as external constraints tied to wounds, fears, and resistance. These limitations reflect our feelings of separation — from others, the world, and even ourselves. They embody the energy that restricts us, mirroring our fears and pain. This feeling of limitation may drive individuals to view awakening as an escape from reality, regarding the physical world as lesser or undeveloped.

The experience of separation within duality can be profound, offering both immense joy and deep misery. The intensity of this experience is what makes it remarkable; it’s a reality where one forgets they are playing a game. This reality lays bare the fundamental separation from understanding one's true nature.

To embrace your divine nature is to transcend the painful aspects of separation by recognizing it as an illusion. Separation is the foundation of duality, which, while capable of inducing suffering, also holds the potential for joy. Joy and suffering coexist on this earth, defined solely by love and the absence thereof — you and not you. Joy reflects your essence; it is who you are, while suffering stems from a disconnection from your true self. Joy embodies acceptance, while suffering manifests as rejection.

The dichotomies of love-fear, joy-suffering, heaven-hell, and unity-separation illustrate the distinction between recognizing yourself and failing to do so — seeing yourself as the creator versus perceiving yourself as merely a biological entity struggling to survive. We are designed with a lifespan that encourages continual remembrance of our divinity. Awakening is about recalling this truth while alive. In a sense, it’s akin to dying while living, letting go of your former understanding of individuality, while simultaneously discovering it anew.

Awakening to your true self involves defining your existence from a place of love rather than fear. It is the recognition of your inherent freedom. It means releasing the need to define your reality through fearful thoughts and attachments. Instead, it invites you to create yourself based on the feelings in your heart — to embody your essence and express that feeling. Thought is rooted in definition, which can only take you so far. You cannot think your way to the realization of your divinity; you must feel it.

Do not fear your being: feel your being.

Awakening does not require the rejection of your mind but rather the dissociation of your primary identity from it. It’s about expanding your consciousness to encompass your heart — your infinite self. It involves delving deeper into your embodiment and embracing both yourself and the reality you inhabit. You cannot perceive your divine nature by rejecting your current existence; instead, love it, for it embodies you — it embodies the divine.

The essence of divinity is love. It is to perceive and create your being from a place of love. Love resides in your heart. Your infinite self is found there. You are present in your heart. To see your essence clearly is to recognize it as love. To perceive your being as love is to experience love. To feel love is to unfold it, allowing the undefinable nature of your being to manifest within the definitions of your reality.

You embody a unique expression of freedom.

Embracing your choice to exist here encompasses more than simply accepting the conditions you selected for your entry into this shared reality. It involves embracing the very essence of that choice to be present. This reality is neither inferior nor profane; it is the Now. It is where your experience unfolds. Here is where you exist, and you are divine. Here is where you recognize your divinity. Here is the most extraordinary place you could be.

How can I assert this? Because I see you choosing to be here. Here is where you are engaging with this text, and through these words, you are welcomed into your divine nature. This reality is remarkable because you are here. Here is Now, and it is in this moment that everything you have ever desired can manifest.

By Story Waters — Subscribe for new articles and access to a library of recordings. Consider supporting through a coffee contribution. Article listing available on Medium.

Chapter 2: The Art of Being Yourself

In this enlightening TEDx talk, Caroline McHugh discusses the essential art of being your true self. She emphasizes that understanding and embracing your individuality is crucial for personal growth and fulfillment.

Chapter 3: The Practice of Being Yourself

Justin Schuman's TEDx talk delves into the practical steps of embracing your true identity. He encourages viewers to explore their uniqueness and to cultivate their individual journeys with authenticity.