What is your Identity?

People in this world are generally very intelligent. Intelligence seems like their power and with their intelligence they want to rule everybody around them. If somebody attacks on them then they pledge to destroy that person. They feel they have the power to do anything. A plan is made in that direction. And why not? They have done this in the past and are confident that they will keep on doing like this for all times to come if an attack comes ever again. Are they really powerful? Is their intelligence, their real power?

Behaviour of most people at times is either arrogant or humble depending on how they use their intelligence. When arrogant, then attack happens. When humble, they feel they are obliging people and as if others could do nothing without their help, their advice , their comments, their guidance.

A top industrialist, having the best of political connections feels he can do anything in this world because he has all the money and connections to get anything done. And he has been doing so in the past. Now his only son is suffering from cancer and is on death bed. Doctors are doing their best as per the latest treatments available. He is willing to spend all the money to take him to any part of the world. On his behalf the Government is willing to do anything. But is all of this making him powerful? NO. The fact is that right now, he is feeling very weak and helpless from within. Inspite of all the worldly power he is feeling as if he is nothing. All his power appears useless to him. He starts considering himself worthless. What is his true identity? Is he really something? Or nothing?

Every person in this world looks very busy. What so ever be the reason or the circumstance, they have something or the other to do. When they achieve something, they feel very important and say, " I have done it with all my intelligence." And when something does not happen as per their plan, they are comfortable to blame others around them. They, by and large, are programmed to blame others for their own mistakes. One relevant question here is, "Why do people perform in this world?" The answer is, "Basically to identify their own identity!" Ten achievements in a row gives them a feeling as if that is their identity but in the eleventh one, circumstances are different and people do not accept their authority. So they feel lost. What they have felt as their identity is now not visible and not acceptable. "What is my identity?" is a common question people have in mind at one or the other stage in their life. They want to know about their purpose and role in life. And with this one question, the journey to know self is initiated.

Let us feel the human life from its beginning and its end. When a human being is born, he can not walk, he can not talk, he can not eat on his own, he has no control over his bowel movements and so on. Anybody may come and crush the infant. A stage of total helplessness! That means HE IS NOTHING as an individual at that stage of his life, which is just the beginning. Same is the situation in the real old age, when he is at a stage close to the end of life. Again as an individual, he can not walk, he can not talk, he can not eat on his own, he has no control over his bowel movements and so on. Again, HE IS NOTHING. The fact is that even during life, every person is nothing in front of somebody. Today, one is nothing, and tomorrow after putting lots of efforts, again one is nothing. Even a very influential person feels helpless and NOTHING at times in life, when best of his resources and money can not help him solve his emergency situation. So it is wisdom to accept the basic reality that "I AM NOTHING"?

How To Live, "I am Nothing?"

Once accepted, then we can look into 'how to live I am nothing'. It is very simple, easy & practical.

Once the mind has accepted the basic reality that "I am Nothing" then the need is to understand - how to live "I am NOTHING". I met a person and asked what his name was. He said, "I am John Smith". I said, "Are you sure?" He said, "Of course yes. I am John Smith." "So what does your children call you as?" "Papa", the name has changed. Sister-in-law calls him as brother-in-law; nieces & nephews call him as Uncle, his friends call him as Johny, his parents call him as son, his sister calls him as brother, a shopkeeper calls him as Sir. His boss introduces him by saying, "Meet my Subordinate". His subordinate introduces him saying, "He is my boss" while others in the office say, he is my Colleague. When he goes abroad, he is known as an Americam, British or Indian as they case may be. His next door person says, "He is my Neighbour" and so on. For all scientists on guinea-pig experiments, he is only a Human Being. Strange indeed! How many persons literally call him by his name, Mr John Smith. Hardly anyone indeed. So, is he John Smith or ...........? is a question for introspection.

Observe the life of an actor. Sylvestor Stallion has been given a different name in every movie as per the character he plays in that movie. It is not only the name but the entire personality which is different as per the character. In his real life, he is entirely different perhaps. But while playing a role, he is NOTHING in front of the Director. The Director tells him to perform as a smuggler in a specific role of a movie; he dresses up like a smuggler, behaves like one, justifies the role and comes back to his seat. In the next movie, he is playing the role of a police inspector and then as a poet and so on. He is justifying his specific assigned role and coming back to his base where he is NOTHING. And with a focus to justify his performance, he is not allowing the overlapping of roles. Otherwise, he will not be popular among the masses.

Same way, you have been assigned various roles to play and justify in your life: your role as a son, father, brother, husband, friend, boss, subordinate, colleague, buyer, seller, employer, stranger, patient, tourist and so on. Your performance for all these roles is different. Different as a son & as a father. Different being the CEO of your organization where you must behave as per the organizational needs. And different when you go to a religious place where you even clean the floor yourself. When you go to a school for the admission of your son, you behave totally different. A primary school teacher asks you to wait outside and you are waiting, while in your office people are waiting for you where you feel on top of the world.

But once these roles start overlapping, life becomes complicated and miserable. If you ask your wife to tie a rakhi at your wrist, her brothers won't spare you. You must justify each role as it comes to you and then come back to your base that is NOTHING. Let us learn from car driving. I have asked one simple question during my workshops,"While driving a car how would you change from 2nd to 3rd gear?" Many people explain in different ways but the expert always says, "Come to neutral first and then go to the respective gear." Coming to neutral is extremely important. If by chance you do not plan to come to neutral first then perhaps you are in the process of damaging the gear box. Same way, in life also we must live one role, then come to neutral (I am nothing) and then go to next role and so on. This way, you live beyond 'the disturbing and the threatening EGO which is always making you something or the else against the basic reality where you are nothing.