I Am, Therefore I Am: Reclaiming Your Self From Your Mind


"...So cling to nothing too tightly, even yourself, / and when it’s time to let go, let go with grace, / for nothing is owned, only borrowed..." — James McCrae.

James McCrae’s poem titled “Instructions Before Visiting Earth” seems to be having another viral moment these days. The man has unwittingly created a masterpiece on the art of living gracefully, one that is worth revisiting from to time.  The extract above inspired some thoughts which I would like to share in this piece to help anyone dealing with invasive dark thoughts.

When we are in the depths of depression, our thoughts feel like heavy, permanent fixtures of our identity. We treat them as if they are solid truths—as if they are us.

But what if we started treating them as guests?

What if we acknowledged that our thoughts, our moods, and even our current mental states (even the happiest of them) are not possessions we own, but experiences we are simply borrowing for a time?

Western education has us conditioned by the mantra Cogito, ergo sum—"I think, therefore I am." This implies that our existence is defined by the contents of our mind. If the mind is dark, the "I" must be dark. If the mind is anxious, the "I" must be anxious.

We are going to flip this.

Replace it with the profound simplicity of: I am, therefore, I am.

Your existence precedes your thinking.

You are the observer of the thought, not the thought itself. By adopting "I am" you create space for your own existence and awareness beyond whatever is going on in the mind.

Imagine your mind is an infinite ocean. Your thoughts are simply waves:

  • some are tiny ripples, a passing distraction.
  • some are massive, crashing waves of sadness or hopelessness.

But here is the secret the ocean knows: A wave is not the ocean.

A wave rises, it grows to a height, it may look scary or overwhelming, and then it must fizzle away into the stillness of the water.

If you are the ocean, you are always there—deep, vast, and fundamentally untouched by the temporary height of the wave. You don't have to chase the wave away; you only have to realize that you are the ocean.

Here are a few Practical tips you can borrow when next you feel a wave growing:

  • Label it: Instead of saying "I am depressed," say "I am experiencing a wave of depression."
  • Acknowledge the lease: Remind yourself, "This thought is borrowed. I am not the owner, and I do not have to keep it."
  • The Grace of Letting Go: When the thought begins to fade, don't grasp for it out of habit. Practice "letting go with grace"—a gentle acceptance that the transient nature of this thought is actually your greatest freedom.

In conclusion...

You are not the temporary tenant of a chaotic mind; you are the landlord.

You are the vast, stable consciousness that witnesses the arrival and departure of every feeling.

The next time a heavy thought rises, remind yourself: I am, therefore I am. You are enough, independent of the thoughts floating on the ocean of your mind.

 Let the wave rise, let it grow, and watch it fizzle away—without a trace.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"This post is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional clinical therapy. If you are in crisis, please reach out to a professional."

 


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