You may know the experience of looking for something and unintentionally finding something completely different.

One day a friend handed me a short story about a woman who was in a coma and dying. The woman felt she was taken to another realm and she heard a voice:

“Who are you?” the voice asked.

“I’m the wife of the mayor,” she replied.

“I did not ask whose wife you are, but who you are.”

“I’m the mother of four children.”

“I did not ask whose mother you are, but who you are.”

“I’m a philanthropist.”

“I did not ask what you do with your money, but who you are.”

And so it went. No matter what she replied, she did not seem to give a satisfactory answer to the question . . .

“Who are you?” the voice asked again.

“I’m a doctor.” 

“I did not ask what you do, but who you are.”

The woman did not understand the point of the inquiry, but when she recovered from her illness she was determined to find out who she was. 

— From: Taking Flight – A Book of Story Meditations

The question Who am I? is a fundamental wondering. Most people behave according to the different phases of their life and career. Do we ask ourselves if the person in front of us is authentic? Advertising, movies, and social media, encourage us to think we want to belong to the culture of specific groups. We easily forget and then deny who we really are. 

Being who we are is a natural state but can be a challenge in this time with so much illusion. It is important to know how to let go of old images and figure out what is authentic and true.

During the recent New Equations International Workshop in Germany we all had new experiences of our Soultype strength and wisdom. We did not need to ask the question Who am I? Our new state of being allowed the old illusions to fade.

Hans-Peter Kraus

Hans-Peter Kraus, Soultype 5, is a student in the NEATO Level 2 – New Equations Expansion program. He enjoys linking bridges that create a balance between different perceptions. Hans-Peter lives on the border triangle of Germany, Switzerland, and France, near Freiburg (Black Forest), Germany.