By Looking Within, We Affirm that We Are.

No, I'm not writing this because he made a huge difference in the philosophical and scientific development of The Netherlands.

Not even because he served the army under the Prince of Orange.

This is not about national pride.

I'm a world citizen.

It is, however, about self-discovery, enlightenment; and he certainly was an important figure in that perspective.

Mindfulness

I'm a huge fan of Mindfulness. I've even taken a certificate course for Master Practitioner Mindfulness, taught by the wonderful mentor Kain Ramsey. Besides following lectures on Mindfulness, I was able to blend my previous Theology degree studies with Philosophy, thus attaining a bachelor's in religious philosophy. (See previous blog post here).

Naturally, it's not the credentials that describe the journey, but rather the information learnt. Much of this information comes from looking within.

By looking within, we affirm that we are.

Philosophers have been around for many centuries. What they all have in common, is that they urge us to "look within", to find the answers we seek. Many theologists argue that this is bypassing God, as we should look to Him for answers.

Well, I'm with Descartes on this one. Enlightenment over religious dogma any time.

Besides, didn't God make us in His image?

But let's get back to philosophy. Lately I've been reading up on philosophy, more than when I was studying for my degree. And even though I find theology very interesting (I have too many interests, I got side-tracked for a while there and delved into paleontology and history), I tend towards the philosophical side of it -sure, call me a gnostic-, as they are interwoven.

To look into ourselves is not always an easy thing to do in today's society; although if we have to believe Plato, this has always been an issue.

What I mean is: we have so many stressors, so many distractions all around us. If you live in a big city, this is even worse. I sleep so well in the countryside; but back home, with the ac zooming, dogs barking, and so on, I must be quite tired to sleep deep. This makes meditating so much harder. there's always something going on, so there's no time where I will not be distracted at all. Of course, this can be trained, but, being high-sensitive makes this an enormous challenge.

On the other hand, this trait can be a helpful skill-set when applied properly. Whether you are sensitive or not, looking into yourself, or evaluating yourself and your beliefs regularly can be quite revealing.

You may find you no longer believe something you valued before. Perhaps Time has given you different experiences, and you no longer need to hold on to previous suppositions.

Either way, make it a habit to regularly give yourself a "check-up".

Remember: You Are, because You Think...