| Identification Exercise | |
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This exercise is introduced by Molly Brown as a method for letting go of ideas that limit who we think we are so that we can become the true self that we really are. Sitting comfortably, I would relax by focusing on my breathing and read the following affirmation. The highlighted text received added emphasis in my recitation and, my reactions are enclosed in a box: (Note 49) I have a body, but I am not my body. My body may find itself in different conditions of health or sickness, it may be rested or tired, but that has nothing to do with my self, my real 'I.' I value my body as my precious instrument of experience and action in the world, but it is only an instrument. I treat it well, I seek to keep it in good health, but it is not my self: I have a body, but I am not my body. I have emotions, but I am not my emotions. My emotions are many different feelings, always changing, sometimes confusing. They may swing from love to hatred, from calm to anger, from joy to sorrow, and yet my essence, my true nature, does not change. I remain. Though I may be temporarily washed by a wave of emotion, I know it will pass in time; therefore, I am not this emotion. Since I can observe and understand my emotions, and learn to direct, utilize, and integrate them harmoniously, it is clear they are not my self. I have emotions, but I am not my emotions. I have a mind, but I am not my mind. My mind is a valuable tool of discovery and expression, but it is not the essence of my being. My thoughts are constantly changing with new ideas, knowledge, and experience. Often my mind refuses to obey me! Therefore it cannot be me, my self. It is an organ of knowledge of both the inner and the outer worlds, but it is not my self. I have a mind, but I am not my mind. If I am not body, emotions, or mind, what am I? I recognize and affirm that I am a center of pure self-awareness. I am a center of will, capable of observing, directing, and using all my psychological processes and my physical body. I am the one who is aware. I am the one who chooses.
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