The Root of Self
Understanding What Gives Your Growth Meaning & What Does Not.
Introduction
The driving force behind my passion for health, wellness and personal development came from my experience with being on the opposing end of the spectrum. Realising that bad health and lifestyle habits had death knocking at my front door, was what inspired me to turn over a new leaf. Over the last 3 years I have grown in the understanding of developing myself for the sake of my physical and mental health; as well as for the sake of those around me. I have come to learn that growth takes intentionality when it comes to how I treat my mind and my body. What I have also come to learn is the role spirituality plays in and through personal development; something that I was ignorant of when I started my journey.
We are living in the time of a true wellness revolution. The gyms are full, yoga is a trendy practice, and meditative spiritual therapy has been integrated seamlessly into secular culture. Furthermore, motivational content creators and podcasters have a flock of sheep looking to them for guidance when it comes to their physical, mental and spiritual well being. The post pandemic world we are all a part of has witnessed the wake up call that sent a vast majority of people (including myself) from living for themselves in self-indulgence to living for themselves in self-improvement. Now on the surface this seems to be a positive societal rebound effect that has people looking better, feeling better, working harder and levelling up in every possible way. However the root of a seemingly positive branch isn’t always as pure as what might initially meet the eye. The societal shift from self indulgence to self improvement has different branches but ultimately maintains the same root - the root of self!
The Root of Self
I am sure you have come across these sayings in our culture today:
“This year you need to do you.”
“Put yourself first!”
“You are attracting success.”
“Follow your heart, and do what makes you happy.”
“Manifest your desires.”
“The universe is working for you.”
“Live your best life.”
The root of self is seen through these statements. It can be described as the unknown and unidentifiable force behind making you believe you are at the core of the world's importance. This can be simplified through the common belief system that suggests the world revolves around you. It is comforting to believe that it does revolve around you but it’s simultaneously convenient to deny that it does. Self-indulgence and self-improvement and like two peas from the same pod that have been cut off from the source that brought them to life in the first place. Now, this isn’t to suggest that you’re ultimately insignificant, it is simply to challenge the culture that suggests that you are the source of your own significance. Therefore you might be able to manifest your desires but can you trust your desires? You might be able to get the “universe” to submit to your will; but is your will ultimately good? Is living your best life truly your best if there is a predestined life available for you that was designed by the being who designed you?
The more books I read and the more successful people I followed, the more I noticed the power of the root of self. The media seems to want you to care about you more than anything else. My experiences, especially through living in a helpless state of physical health, showed me that self has never been the supreme source of sustenance when it comes to human flourishing. So how is it that we glorify self, even through positive avenues such as improvement? This is because the same spiritual force you partner with in feeling better & in bringing your every desire to life, understands that your granted wishes cannot sustain you. It is a sinister source of encouragement that really wants to eradicate the true source of life from being worshipped.
You cannot worship a branch without worshipping its roots. Even though the root might be hidden beneath the soil, it remains the source behind the branch that you worship.
The Branches of Life
The things you do are the branches of your life. The things you produce from the things you do are the fruits of your life. The root is the source of inspiration behind all you do. Therefore if you make your physical health a priority by working out and eating clean, you will produce a healthy body. The world recognises this and those who prioritise their health and wellness see the wonderful benefits it brings. You can also look at this illustration through the lens of finance. If you make it your ambition in life to be rich and wealthy; your ambition for money becomes the branch in your life that ultimately gets your worship and as a result you get the glory. There is a high likelihood for you to achieve your ambition especially if you believe that the world was designed to serve your ambition. However if you believe in the value of created things then it would be foolish to eradicate the value of the creator of these things. This is why God must be the root behind your ambition.
The Branches Cannot Save You
I grew to develop a relationship with God from the understanding that the branches in my life didn’t create me, they didn’t sustain me and they couldn’t save me. Therefore it would have been foolish to continue serving the branches of my personal growth blindly. Here are some common branches that we all have:
The journey of self-improvement that I advocate for is one where the root that produces the fruits and branches in your life can be identified as the true source of your life. By this understanding, the true source of your life cannot be yourself. Therefore if you live to serve a branch then you are serving the root of self. And by serving the root of self, your worship (lifestyle) cannot be onto God.
The Branches Cannot Make You
There are several spiritual practices that have been normalised, especially as they are seen to be beneficial to the branches in your life. However, just because something is beneficial doesn’t make it purposeful. For instance, It is possible to “attract abundance” because there are spiritual laws that grant permission for spiritual forces to give you what you desire. But is this the best form of growth if you have acknowledged that your heart isn’t good?
All created things (including you) have been created to participate and be in communion with the goodness of the source of life which is indistinguishable to God. There is more than enough evidence to show that goodness doesn’t come from man; it comes from God. This is the root that makes you and the root that gives your life purpose. It is God that makes things purposeful and these branches were designed as tools for your purpose. The moment you find your purpose in a branch you are relying on yourself as a human being to sustain what was never created by you in the first place.
Conclusion
Finally, a branch with a sinister root poses a great danger to your life if you continue to live for that branch. I remember when I relied on the strength of my youth to keep me alive until it wasn’t enough. I was sustained by the root of self until it wasn’t able to sustain me any longer. But a branch that is used as a tool to serve the greater good of God’s purpose becomes important once it’s submitted to that will. This includes your health, your mindset, your character, and your prosperity just to name a few. In the next letter I will be breaking down the importance of these branches/tools within the context of health wellness and personal development.
Thank you for reading.
This was so profound! Thank you for sharing.