Awareness Quote by Suzanne Giesemann
““What is the same in every human being and doesn't change? [...] That you exist. The words we use to express this concept are "I am." "I" is the pronoun we use to reference the self. "Am" is the verb that references a state of being. "I am" indicates self-awareness of being. In the space between all words, all thoughts, all memories, what do you know with certainty? "I exist and I am aware of it." When stating, "I am", all self-aware beings are referring to an identical experience. [...] No matter one's age or life history, "I am" - the awareness of being - is a shared phenomenon. [This is] the part of you beyond your story. Think of "I am" like the vast open sky. Any words that follow "I am" are clouds. They arise within the sky, temporarily changing the appearance of it, but they have no effect on the sky's basic existence. Who are you beyond your story? You are the open sky my friend - the presence and expression of an immense Awareness that knows it exists. Because this is a shared presence, it's more fitting to refer to this as the Absolute Self (with a capital S) as opposed to the temporary, limited sense of "my" self with a story. [...] In the Bible, in the Book of Exodus, the story goes that when Moses asked for God's name, the first response he received was, "I AM that I AM." So we have the Absolute "I AM" that is everywhere, all-knowing, and all-powerful. And we have over seven billion relative beings also claiming "I am." The difference between relative awareness and Absolute Awareness is the individual stories or exeriences that arise in the one I AM Awareness, like clouds in the sky. The Self is the sky. The selves are the clouds. You are not apart from the sky. You are intimately part of it as a self-aware expression fo self-awareness.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Spiritual Reflection on Self‑Awareness, 2023
Self‑awareness is a shared, timeless consciousness beyond personal narratives, likened to an open sky.
In simple terms: We all share a basic self‑existence beyond stories.
Recognize the deeper self beyond personal identity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- meditation
- therapy
- creative writing
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of your story limit your sense of self?
- How can you experience the “sky” of awareness in daily life?
Personal stories can obscure the shared awareness.