My Beautiful Verb: Soulful Thoughts

"What a liberation to realize that the “voice in my head” is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that.” ~Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle's books The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose were life changing books for me. I had never once had the idea that my brain (whom Eckhart calls "the thinker") was a separate entity from who I actually am. To realize this concept was an epiphany, and offered me great relief and peace from the torment of my worrying brain thoughts. In Eckhart's words, "The brain does not create consciousness, but conciousness created the brain, the most complex physical form on earth, for its expression." The idea of the brain as purely an expressive tool of the real source of who we are, our consciousness, was a very freeing thought. It completely resonated with me.

To me, my consciousness is my inner spirit, and I like the idea that my soul is the true leader. She's fully present inside this body I've been given, and tries her best to make her way through life with me amidst all my brain's hang-ups, fears, and self-judgments. She's the quiet voice at the bottom of my lungs, whispering words of comfort when I'm confused, sad, or afraid. She helps me to remember I'm worthy, even when my brain is convincing me I'm not (have you ever thought about how many of your self-imposed thoughts simply aren't true?). As Eckhart Tolle describes, "The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive." My soulful self cheers me on in those destructive moments. I am now aware of her (me?) every day, and she is good company.

These poor souls of ours, trapped inside our worldly minds! How do they keep their faith through all of our earthly trials and tribulations? How do they stay positive within us, surrounded by our constant, internal brain battles? As a lifelong worrier, my brain controls me more than I'd like to admit. But, the more I acknowledge my inner soul, the greater her strength becomes. She loyally defends me against my brain's attempts to define me, which is no easy task. Her gentle presence is as certain as my next breath. She is my breath. And she is action...she is strong, resilient, and empowering. She advances, she deftly outmaneuvers my brain thoughts...as I've grown older, she has gained strength and is always one step ahead. She is my beautiful verb. She is me.

“You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I'm linking up to Bonnie's Photo Art Friday - her theme this week was "graffiti". I started with an image of a wall I took in Lorton, VA. I added the text with two fonts, one called "Misdemeanor" and the other called "TWO a.m." (both were free at dafont.com). I also used Bonnie's "Ma Belle" texture at Hue/70%. The quote is from David Mitchell's book The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. It really caught my eye the first time I read it.