You Are Not Your Body

The Body is your equipment, it is not YOU.

If you don’t like your body, all that means is you do not like your equipment. it doesn't mean that you do not like YOU as in yourself. 

Gaining and integrating this lesson had a profound effect on my life and how i view my body. This lesson is in much credit to CJ Smith, a thinker and creator whose work on the interplay between the body and the soul has been influential in my journey.  I sat with his teachings on the difference between the flesh and soul for weeks after learning it and in reflection built upon it. 

His Youtube channel, Fulfilled Living, offers a treasure of wisdom,  take the time to watch his teachings and sit with the meaning behind them. He knows things about this world and I urge you to listen because his message is not that of the ordinary.

Why does your body work against you? Why does your body fight you? You don't want to eat ice cream but then your hand opens the fridge? You don't want to text ‘X’, and then suddenly you do. What is happening here? You didn't want to, so what is going on?

To use your energy correctly, you must overstand who you are and who you are not. You are not your body. Sometimes, you are not even your cravings or thoughts! You are not only your body; you also are not always the only one in your body. The positive of this would be to experience inspiration, to have it fill you. 

On the contrary, it’s an easy example to demonstrate through your everyday life:

Why Does Your Body Seem to Defy You?

During those moments when you're adamant about not wanting that scoop of ice cream, or when you can’t avoid messaging someone, what's behind your contradictory actions? Are they mere suggestions and not commands? It is your job to distinguish between the directing thought and who’s thought it is.

This is a profound life lesson,

to overstand that the direction of your body,

your flesh, is not automatic.

That’s why it is vital that you conduct your energy with intent, but to do that, you first need to know who you are, who you are not, and who or what else may have access to directing your body and your energy.

Cravings Aren't Always Yours

Even your food choices may not be your own if you are not in tune and in control. When you suddenly crave sugar or junk food, it's tempting to blame it solely on a lack of willpower. 

However, recent scientific studies suggest that our gut bacteria play a significant role in our behavior. These microscopic organisms have their own set of needs, and when they are starved of their preferred nutrients, they can release signaling molecules that influence our dietary desires. So, that urge for a sugary treat? It might not be you craving it, but rather the gut microbiome lobbying for what they want.

The “fall of man” is a term that symbolizes the loss of the Soul to the human body, to the human condition and to the human doing versus the human being. This idea suggests that our bodies, the vessels we inhabit, are mechanisms of constraint, tools designed to tether our boundless Souls to the tangible, finite world.

Flesh (noun)

The soft substance of a human or other animal body,

consisting of muscle and fat.

Here, it symbolizes the physical constraints and temptations.

At first glance, this notion might seem counterintuitive. How can the very body that facilitates our experiences in this world act as our jailer? It is a paradox, suggesting that to truly know freedom, one must first recognize the chains. In this context, the things that chain and drain us, our un-checked appetites,

Have you ever noticed that as the years go on in a person’s life, many, most in fact, begin to hate their body? They begin to look in the mirror and say negative things to themselves, or to others about themselves and ultimately “let themselves go.”

Have you ever stopped to consider it’s not self-hate to hate your body? People who fall into this pitfall think it is themselves they are hating, when in reality it is not. 

They are unpleased with their equipment in life, not themselves.

This ownership of identity to the physical body

is an important chain to break

when it comes to achieving Soul alignment.

Someone Versus Somebody

Have you ever stopped to think about the words "someone" and "somebody?” These two might seem similar, but they're actually worlds apart in meaning. Let's unpack this.

"Someone" is all about the spirit within us. It's that unique spark, the 'one' that's only you. It's your soul, your inner essence, linking you to the universe, a bit like grace, wouldn't you say? It's what makes you, well, you – beyond just flesh and bones.

Now, flip the coin, and there's "somebody." Notice the 'body' part? This is about your physical presence, the part of you that you can see and touch. It's the vessel carrying your soul, your spirit's home in the material world.

You see, these words tell us a beautiful story about who we are. They remind us that we're not just walking, talking bodies. We are also souls and spirits on a journey. In our everyday language, we've captured this dual nature of existence.

How do you see yourself and others? Are you just a 'somebody,' a body moving through the world? Or are you 'someone,' a soul with a unique story and a connection to something bigger? Embracing both these aspects is key to understanding ourselves fully.

In the end, it's about balance. Balancing our spiritual self with our physical self. It's about recognizing that while we're part of this physical world, we're also part of something divine, something extraordinary. So, next time you use "someone" or "somebody," think about this little nugget of wisdom. It's quite a game-changer, isn't it?