We are often told to be ourselves.
What does that mean?
Can I possibly be anything else?
The Self we are reminded to be is our divinity
— which is always present whether acknowledged consciously or not. In Science I cannot be anything else because All is the divine presencing of Mind as Man.
The personality, which I imagined myself to be from the time I was little, is the way I see my divine Self through filters of my own beliefs and biases. Focusing on the concept world, I see validations for this view. From the concept level of thinking, we believe what we are told, good or bad — too fat, too skinny, too sensitive, too emotional, too anxious, feeling good, feeling sick, having a headache or growing a cancer or — ah, playing a good game of tennis, having a lovely garden, etc. And it goes on as a human sense of “I” makes it up, believing that what is seen can cause problems or happiness.
So one day I find myself unhappy; things are not the way I want them. Divine Love always provides an answer, and often it looks like a problem — demanding my attention. Awhile back, I had a challenge to meet. I have always enjoyed being an avid tennis fan and player. Every day I played tennis, and I could be sure of what day of the week it was by what “foursome” I was part of. I thought I was a pretty good player. I found myself taking pride in being included in games with the “better” players. Four of us even took extra clinics to perfect our strokes.
Things went along this way for quite awhile, until one day I felt some pain in my knee. At first I ignored it, and the pain persisted. I got a knee support and tried exercises to help. I even cut back on the number of days I played. Tennis continued. Pretty soon I was not playing as well, and was not included in some of the “better” games. Other discomforts got my attention. I didn’t enjoy tennis as much as I used to.
Well, as things seemed to shatter, I was actually forced to take a look at the way I was viewing my life and building up a person-based sense of ego. Divine Love would not allow me to believe this lie of who I thought I was!
In Reality, there is one Ego — the God-idea. The personality, or concept, of Dee was a picture I had bought into. I realized I was living my life on the concept level, which is only a view and not the fact.
Certainly experiencing sickness, unhappiness, need, etc. is not my divine Self. It is just the way I am viewing my world, and has no reality in Being. In Science, we learn that it is not possible to be separated from the God-idea. I have only imagined a separation from the one source of all existence. The question arises of who is in control. Am I vulnerable to anything if ALL is perfection being? Principle is in operation and in control — all the time.
The one causative Being is being Itself looking like this world I walk through every day. The concept world is Being being itself — as seen the way I view it. Well, I can just drop the way I am making it up, and allow the picture to be, without interpreting it as good or bad, right or wrong. I can stop judging everyone and everything. When I judge others, I am enforcing a dual view of my world.
The one and only Mind is what is doing the knowing. Being my Self, acknowledging the Good in all ways — encompassing everything around me, no matter what the appearance — I can leave the picture alone.
“Our false views of life hide eternal harmony and produce the ills of which we complain.” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health 62: 29-30)
Ah, it is only a view that I have accepted as who I am. A view has no staying power of its own and cannot cause anything. The “problem” has been very helpful in discovering that all is the conscious identity of existence, including the language world.
As an afterthought, I realize the knee, tennis, etc. are no longer problems, but with clearer vision I don’t look to a “healing” but rejoice in the realization that I am, and always was, whole and complete. All is One.
Let this be your motto: Rely on yourself
For whether the prize be a ribbon or a throne
The victor is he who can go it alone.
John Godfrey Saxe
- Dee Ploss
