So, I’m thinking that this post is going to sound like a cross between spirituality 101 and a fairy tale. For years I have struggled with the false-self/true-self model. Not that I didn’t believe that it had validity – too many of my respected mentors speak of it, but I just couldn’t wrap my self around understanding it totally – not that anything spiritual can be totally understood!
It’s just that I didn’t really know what a true self is – because if my false self is the face that I project to the world, than, not only is it depressing, but then where is this illusive true self and how do I get it to surface?
Once again, my understanding came from a child……who defined a ‘soul’ as the part of you that lives forever with God. Not only do I love that simplicity, but that definition was an ‘ah-ha’ moment for me.
In order for me to not make this a too-long post, I will highlight my ‘ah-ha’s’
- I have a soul inside of me that is both beautiful and perfect (the true self that God created???)
- It is the ‘me’ that is eternal and is united with God both now and forever
- It is the ‘me’ that God sees – the rest is just fluff and really inconsequential to God – (that point may get me into trouble)
- I can access my soul anytime I become quiet
- My soul is where I meet God – we reside there together
- My soul – my true self – my eternal (noun) – God’s creation is loved. Beyond all measure, beyond all time, beyond all space, all words and all actions. My soul is who God created – my ‘me’
Reflections on the Journey 
May you have lots of joy with ‘it’:)
Brilliant!
I get so lost in all the semantics and cleverness that I sometimes think I’ll just give up. I’ll get out my Children’s Big Book of Bible Stories and say my prayers the way my Mom taught me. (and donate a library’s worth of books to a worthy cause.)
I recently read Rohr’s book on the subject (Immortal Diamond) because I wanted to be able recognize my True Self if I ever ran into her. LOL It is not a bad book, but teasing the Real Me from the False Me is not easy. I get closest to her, I think, when I connect with my Inner Child. She is closest to God, I think, freer, more open, wiser in her own way, unpolluted. So I am not far from your discoveries.