Who am I? Who are you?
It’s so easy to lose yourself, to let other people’s labels begin to define your identity. What makes us who we are is so much more complex than we think. Your perception of your individual identity can just as easily become a barrier to your personal evolution and happiness.
This brilliant documentary, In & Of Itself, explores these basic questions and might leave you with a different perception afterwards. I highly recommend you add this to your watchlist. Watch it. You will be very glad you did.
Divine Timing
The universe dropped In & Of Itself into my lap at the perfect moment by way of a good friend. Out of the blue this past Friday I got a Facebook message from my friend Romeo, If you get a chance watch In & Of Itself on Hulu. My wife and I searched Hulu, pressed play, and began watching the documentary just a few minutes later.
Like many of us, lately, I’ve been feeling the effects of almost a year in isolation. I felt myself starting to take a downward spiral and losing the enthusiasm and wonder at what each new day would bring.
There’s so much about our pre-Covid life that I miss -- visiting with family and friends, outdoor activities, travel. I guess what I miss most is the freedom to live life normally and not to have to think about what I’ve touched, or if I’ve washed my hands for the fiftieth time for twenty seconds, or if my elderly Mom will be safe from the virus another week until she can get vaccinated.
What this documentary taught me will stay with me forever, mainly because it came into my life at the precise time I needed it. You see, after working on my last book, Mindful Moments, for almost six months of the previous year (2020) my aspirations for it began to consume me. It felt like the right book at the right time, and I was so eager for it to help people who needed it. Initial sales were great but then stalled drastically, which is somewhat normal a month or so after a launch. Despite every effort to market the book and build a community around it, it just didn’t get the support I expected.
I know from past experiences that the world of publishing is very fickle. This time felt different, because the book was all I had to focus my time and energy on. In retrospect, it began to occupy a larger part of my world than it should have. I started to let it define me.
In & Of Itself shook me awake again in a profound way, it reminded me that this isn’t how my story ends. In fact, it's a beginning. There are many more chapters. Life is all about timing, and it’s about lessons. Despite our efforts to control every little aspect of our individual destinies, the universe (or a higher power….or whatever it is you believe) ultimately decides the outcome. Our main job to decipher and learn those lessons life gives us. Then we try again.
Over the coming years I hope the book finds those who are meant to read it, if that happens I’ll be more than satisfied.
There are so many layers of In & Of Itself to process. Just like life, there are the tricks, there's the slight of hand, but there's also the message. That's where the gold is.
At its core, committing to a life of living mindfully really just involves waking up each day and beginning a brand new journey of getting reacquainted with the image staring back at you in the mirror and the world around you.
So I ask again, Who Am I? Who Are You?
The answer to these questions are complicated and our jobs are to try to rediscover this, from cradle to grave, again and again, every day for the remainder of our existence.
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
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