Who am I?

"Who am I?" is often a question I ask myself and I'm sure I'm not alone. We are asked this question in many forms...What do you do?, Where do you live?, What do you want to do with your life?, Where are you from?, and so on. These are always such uncomfortable questions for me to answer, mostly because of my rebellious nature and not wanting to be boxed into whatever assumptions people have about what I do for work, where I'm from, where I live, what my hobbies are, or what I think about the latest Bachelorette episode (which I don't watch by the way). Often times when we enter into this game of questions about who our external selves are-- the self that is associated with job, location, hobbies, it negates who we really are inside-- our true Self, what drives us to get up each day and breathe in the air that is available to us. Sometimes we can get so consumed by the external self that we lose sight of who our internal self is. Anxiety and depression take over, feelings of unworthiness, helplessness, hopelessness, and a general feeling of being lost. When we've defined ourselves by external things, how can we ever really know who we are?

Well, I did a little meditation on the question, "Who Am I?". Asking this question of myself over and over and over again, for about 15 minutes (but more like 15 years). In all reality, this is a question that I've pondered for quite some time, especially in times of heartbreak, loss, confusion, or general life disorientation. I haven't ever really been able to answer it. I've answered pieces of it, but never felt satisfied. Never felt settled about whatever answer I created. Until recently, when I've been on this journey of self-discovery and self-inquiry. My road through yoga school gave me the tools to explore this inner self. And I have to believe that I've experienced enough anguish and difficult life situations to fully come to terms with who I REALLY am, who my authentic, true self is outside of all of life's glittery goodness and distressing disappointments. After an inspirational reading and doing a little meditation on the question "Who am I?", I put pen to paper and wrote a little diddy. I hope you enjoy and maybe this will be a mindful motivation to look deeply within yourself, to see all that you are removing the external world and feeling the true beautiful self within.

Who am I?
A Poem By Keegan Mills

I am a spirit that is deeply passionate about life, who sees beauty in all beings.

I am the air that moves through the world witnessing all that it is has to offer—pain, sorrow, forgiveness, love, peace, violence, hate, trust, darkness, light, wholeness.

I am the flower that blossoms from the kisses of sunshine in the day and closes inward with the darkness of night, feeling the pulsating glow from the pale moonlight.

I am the ocean that rolls in and out, crashing on the shore and tickling the feet of young children.

I am the bird that soars above, witnessing the landscape change and evolve.

I am the mountain standing tall and firm amidst the storms of each season.

I am the gentle breeze that whispers love songs to the despaired.

I am the cloud that changes form and sprinkles tears of love throughout the earth.

I am the seed that yearns to grow into a great oak tree, thirsting for water and light.

I am the oak tree stretching tall and wide, feeling every bruise, every gash, every ounce of water and light that has brought me to this day.

I am love.

I am light.

I am me.

I am we.

I am us.