Your naked self is like the nucleus of an atom. All the energy of your life - everything you will ever do - comes from this one compact and radiating form: You.
All the material stuff in your life is not important. Sure, a bed to sleep in matters (holy crap, does it matter), good clothes to wear to a job interview matter (of course they do) but I am talking more abstractly. Every material thing in your life - car, house, wardrobe - are only props. These props allow you to act out your role in the world. But without you, those items are utterly dead and lifeless - they need your energy in order to be animated into meaning. But all this animating force comes from you, and only you.
But we forget this. We think our power comes from the type of car we have, the brand of clothes, the size of our house, our title at work. We make the mistake of identifying our power with the objects that our power allowed us to acquire. So instead of inhabiting our objects or using our objects, we become our objects. We think our power comes from them, not from us.
When we make the mistake of identifying with our objects, we become our objects. We think our power comes from them, not from us.
But something happens when you strip all that away and allow yourself to see yourself as the "mere" naked being that you are.
Now, I know that I use metaphor a lot, but understand that this time I mean this literally, the value of stripping naked and regarding yourself. I mean this in earnest: find a full length mirror ... or if you are bold, you can even take a picture. And note that this is not a sexual exercise, although you might feel something like erotic energy when you are naked and feel the openness of the room all around you. This energy is what we might call Aliveness. And the reason it feels so pleasant and tingling is that you have not done this for a very long time, if ever, and you are finally connecting with your true alive power. So this tingling is just your life force percolating, just know that.
Whether you use mirror or camera, you should also be fully lit with daylight if possible. The point is to show yourself your natural you: no darkness, no hiding. This view of yourself really should full-body, head to toe, too. You need to see all of you. This is not about framing certain body parts. You really should be able to see your feet on the floor, for full grounding effect.
Most important of all, however, be sure to feel your Inner Spirit as you do this. Let how you hold your body come from feeling your inner spirit coming through you. You are the only power you will ever need. As you stand there, really try to feel this.
Now look at your image in the mirror, or at your picture ... and really see yourself. What you are seeing is exactly everything you are and everything you will ever be. Ever. Really understand this: All the the things you will ever do in your life, even if you live another 60 years, come from this one concise package before you: you.
Look at how powerful you are. You are a piece of the universe, a tiny sun, radiating all he the energy of the universe. You don't need anything else. All the power you will ever need is right there within you, shining like a star.
You are this power. This power is you. Nothing else is required, although - yeah - you still need a car and clothes to go out into the world to do good things. But just never forget this one basic fact: your power does not come from objects, your power comes from you.
OK, good enough for now,
~ Quest Barely, all!
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Kemson Cooper is the creator of QuestBarely.com, a site about using the body as a path to explore the Self. He is also the author / artist of "Love Yourself ~ A Body of Work" (perhaps the world's first naked self-empowerment book)