This realisation is not spectacular, but nevertheless it’s profound.

As a child, I was playing in my backyard and was wondering where the little grasshopper went who I had just met the day before—and started imagine what I would do if I were the grasshopper.

When we are kids, we probably have all sorts of interesting things to think about and would never question if this makes sense or not. I continued to think about how it would be to be a lion, a fairy, or my mother and then I came back to myself.

How is it to be myself?

The question brought me to another one: “Who am I?”

I am convinced that everybody at some point will encounter this question.

I was hanging headfirst on the carpet hanger, swinging back and forth. Then I stopped. I am not a grasshopper, lion, fairy or my mother. I am me, and me is someone who can observe everything around me and myself. So who, exactly, is the one observing?

Most of the time we are quietly busy and unaware of the fact that we can observe everything we do from the outside—but the moment we become aware can be a profound one.

The moment we realise that we can observe ourselves is the moment we see that we are bigger than this body and are not limited to one perspective. If we can observe ourselves, it means there is some awareness outside of ourselves, which can give us feedback on everything we do.

If we are in a fight with our co-worker who finished the coffee and therefore should brew more, this awareness can tell us we should stop being so pedantic. It’s the same awareness that would tell us we don’t need enter into a third unhealthy relationship. It is a magnificent intelligence—the more we become aware this all-over perspective, the more we connect to the bigger us and grow in every sense.

This perspective works for us. It makes us aware of what we truly are and how much more we can do. It pushes us to live from the heart and to become our highest self. I believe that life puts us in situations just to become aware of this. It can happen while wondering about a grasshopper, or it can arise from a traumatic event, disease or disaster.

We should take this opportunity to be connected to our bigger self and work with it. It will show us the way to grow and live a truly happy and fulfilled life. It will be the friend who can tell us that everything is alright, that we are loved and safe, in times when we are sad and depressed.

Our bigger self is our true essence, the source of infinite wisdom and love.

Relephant Read:

Are We Self-Aware or Self-Absorbed?

Author: Christine Stein

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Gisela Giardino/Flickr