Why Are We What, How, Where, Who, and Why We Are?
Why we are – and all else – depends on circumstances both in and out of our control.
Please pause a moment. Look around you and then make note of where you are.
How did you get there? What made you decide to be where you are, right now? Is this where somewhere you actually want to be – or not?
For various reasons, you are where you are. Maybe you’re somewhere you have chosen – or not. And even if you are somewhere that you chose – it might not be where you desire to be right now.
How did you get there? If we’re being literal, you probably walked, took public transport, drove, maybe rode a bike, or some such.
Metaphorically, perhaps you took that job, bought that house, got on that bus, or some other circumstance in our outside of your control put you where you are.
This is something I think most of us just take for granted. When did you last question such?
Similarly, all other elements of ourselves and who, what, where, how, and why we are occurred through various combinations of choices made and not made, extenuating circumstances, and/or random happenstance.
No matter how it happened – it is changeable. That might feel like it will require the force of moving a mountain to accomplish – or a similar almost unimaginable feat. But nothing about us and our lives is written in stone. All is malleable and changeable.
But to change – we need to know the answers to the questions here and now.
The past is not the present
Lots of people identify with their past selves.
We talk about who we were with, what we used to do, how we used to be, things left behind and/or lost, and the like – all the time. This often becomes our identity.
Sure, in college I was a DJ, a theatre major, a resident of Ithaca, NY, and a 20-something. That’s who I was – about 30 years ago.
Is that who, what, where, how, or why I am today? No. Not at all.
To be sure, there were lessons learned from all that I was, then. But now? That’s not me and all that I am – nor has it been in a long, long time.
Yet many people identify themselves as who et al that they were. Perhaps not going back 30 years – but even going back a month or two, that’s not you anymore. It hasn’t been you in a month.
The past has come and gone. You cannot undo it, redo it, or change it. Living from it makes no sense because it’s past. Behind.
Here and now, the present, however, is where, who, what, how, and why you are. To get to truly know yourself in all the ways that you can – you need to be here, now.
This brings us to mindfulness, of course.
Mindfulness of who, what, where, how, and why we are
Mindfulness in this expression is conscious awareness. It is pausing to be present, in the here and now, and aware of yourself and all these questions.
The best way to start this process is by working to be aware of your thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions in the present.
This brings up some other questions. But they are, frankly, easier to answer. These questions include,
- What am I thinking?
- What am I feeling?
- How am I feeling?
- What am I doing?
- What are my intentions?
Together, these questions put you in the present, here and now, when you ask them of yourself.
When you are present and in the now, and consciously aware, you’re open to also investigating and exploring your subconscious and ego.
Your subconscious mind is where your beliefs, values, and habits live. Many of these are the answers to all those monosyllabic questions in some form or other.
Then there is your ego. This tends to be a bridge between your conscious and subconscious, and how you project yourself to the world at large and reflect back to your inner self.
Conscious awareness shows both these to you. From there, you can start to find the answers. And if they are not as you would desire for them to be – work out how to change them.
Choices, circumstances, and random happenstance
Identifying the questions of who, what, where, how, and why we are is important to self-awareness, mindfulness, and what we choose and decide for our life paths. Pathwalking, whenever we begin, starts from here and now. It cannot begin from what was – only from what is.
Thus, mindfulness tells you what is. That’s why it’s so important to these questions.
But many of us want to know just how we got here – wherever here may be. All these questions came into being due to situations and experiences both in and out of our control.
We all make choices every single day. Most are so small that we give them little regard or deep thought. Instead, we tend to focus on big choices like who to date/marry, where to live, what car to buy, and the like. But each choice leads to an element that all the questions ask about.
Not choosing can have the exact same impact.
Choice is where all our control exists. And that’s pretty much it.
The other factors are not in our control. Extenuating circumstances happen. Likewise, so does random happenstance. The Universe tosses shit at us from various directions – and what happens next impacts who, what, how, where, and why we are.
At least, at the moment of the occurrence of circumstances and random happenstances. When whatever happens, happens, it simply is. Maybe it’s an exploding pipe in your kitchen, a collision with another car on the highway, an unexpected medical problem, or what-have-you.
These are bad experiences – but similarly, good can occur just as unexpectedly.
Your crush kisses you, you win the lottery, you get an unexpected promotion at work, and the like.
Generally, bad or good, we didn’t see it coming until it arrived.
Who, what, where, how, and why we are is ours to choose – or change
Now what? There will be a visceral, immediate, reaction either positive or negative. After that – can’t say. But if now is the moment after that – what, how, who, where, and why you are is something you’re mindful of – or not.
Conscious awareness of ourselves – self-awareness, mindfulness of ourselves – is how we can be all that we desire to be. And if we dislike what we find – we are capable of changing it.
This is not always easy. In fact, it might appear to be almost impossible based on your present state of being. But change is the only constant in the entire Universe. Thus, we can take that to heart if we are not all that we desire to be – whichever of the questions that applies to.
Why we are – and all else – depends on circumstances both in and out of our control. Recognizing that here and now, we can see what’s ours to choose – and decide just what to do with that.
Lastly – we are all worthy and deserving of this. It is one of the best parts of being human – the whole world, especially when we’re in harmony with it – is ours for the making. So long as we are kind, compassionate, and not intentionally hurting or harming others, we are worthy and deserving of it all.
All of us are worthy and deserving. And in this abundant Universe, there is more than enough to go around – and leave nobody wanting or without. When you employ mindful self-awareness it reveals this to be an ultimate truth of life, the Universe, and everything.
Are you walking a path of your choosing and striving to decide who, what, where, how, and why you are?
This is the five-hundred and fifty-third exploration of my Pathwalking philosophy. These weekly essays are my ideas for – and experiences with – using mindfulness and positivity to walk along a chosen path of life to consciously create reality.
I share this journey as part of my desire to make a difference in this world and empower as many people as I can with conscious reality creation.
Thank you for joining me. Feel free to re-post and share this.
The first year of Pathwalking, including expanded ideas, is available here. Check out Amazon for my published fiction and nonfiction works.
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