What I AM, a lesson in being from Popeye

“I am what I am, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.” Could it be that simple?

I hope you remember or know of the old cartoons, “Popeye The Sailor Man“? If not I suggest you watch a couple on YouTube so you will see what I’m talking about here. It is an entertaining way to get a huge life lesson, believing in yourself.  Yes, we can get personal growth from cartoons.

Something that happens on every episode is that Popeye goes from being lackluster and in an undesirable situation, to an energized, self-confident fireball taking care of business.

The analogy I see here with Popeye is that he transforms once he realizes who he really is and what he is capable of. Which is what we all can do.

When Popeye remembers who he really is, his arms bulge out, his eyes light up, is energy increases, he gets ideas that help him get out of a fix, he’s determined, and he gets things done fast . ..and he feels good about himself! . . . and he gets the girl!

When he knows who he is and what he is capable of, he does not hesitate, wonder, or ponder the fact, he just goes into action as if guided by a greater force. We all can do this! The people who KNOW that they are a certain way, can DO a certain thing, or even have something, just KNOW it!

There is no, “I wonder if?’ it’s just a matter of when. In our physical reality, there is a time lag, a gestation period between our thoughts and the experience. This is so that every little thought we have does not come out immediately in a physical form.

If this did occur, our life would be like that movie The Mask, where the character played by Jim Carey did physically enact everything he thought, as he thought it. If our knowing and belief that we actually are a certain way is strong enough, the not experiencing of it in the now, is not enough to deter us or to allow doubts, fears and worries take over.

Knowing who and what you are is different that wondering and hoping . . . it’s a belief! And yes, it is a choice. The reason we may not be enjoying everything we desire in life is because we are not in total belief of it, we are in a state of hoping or wanting. When in hope and want, we are separating ourselves from what we desire. When we believe, we have total confidence in ourself, our abilities and our actions.

Believing in something, even if unseen, places it in the now – whereas wanting something places it in the future. There is actually only now, there is no future in reality, you can only experience something NOW. Thinking about something as in the future is really thinking that you want it in your now at some point. So until you bring it into now, it will always be in the future.

This can be tough to grasp, but it is the difference between actually experiencing something and wanting it. Most sages and now science say that the only true reality is NOW. People who appear to be, do and have so easily are doing this, and they may not even be aware that they are. In their minds, they ARE the successful person, they HAVE lots of money, they CAN do certain things, even if they are not yet experiencing them!

So, with Popeye, is it the spinach? No, that’s just a metaphor for what it takes for him to wake up and realize who he really is. In reality, it’s our thought that does this. But just easy as it is to open a can of spinach and eat it, you can flip the switch on your thoughts.

One of the key ‘works’ of life is to come to the realization of who you truly are and what you are capable of, then to accept it completely with total faith, even before the related physical manifestation shows up. You must BE something in your belief before you will experience it.

On a personal level, this is what is meant by, I AM that I AM. It’s a declaration of self. Whatever you declare and believe yourself to be, do and have guides your experience in life. This is not just a wanting affirmation, it must be total belief. If your mind is saying, “yea, but” you do not believe!

Declare who you are, and believe it!