I came up with this simple exercise last week to explore the different ways we think of ourselves, and I thought I’d share it here, and see if you think it’s as provocative as I do:
Say out loud I
, then pause, feeling sensing how it lands in you, repeat saying I
and pausing as needed to amplify and clarify the impact. Notice how saying that words impacted you. Some possible questions:
Where does the word seem to point in your body (head, heart, gut, etc)?
What is the felt sense where it points?
Are there other sensations that arise in the body?
What emotions accompany it if any (love, disgust, neutrality, etc)?
What thoughts arise?
Next, do the same thing but say me
. Is the sense the same, or different? How is it different?
Repeat with your name, alternate names if you go by many, and see how they are all different, similar.
Extra credit, connect with a friend and have them call you you
, your given name, your social name if different. Inquire how saying those different words feels different to them.
Have fun playing with this, and share in the comments what you discover.