Be a Swiss Army Knife

During my summer break in Switzerland, I came across a Swiss Army Knife, and it got me thinking. What if we recognized ourselves as a Swiss Army Knife? Being our whole selves, no matter where we go?

Let me back up. One of my goals and missions in teaching mindfulness as a way of living, not just tasks on my to-do list, is showing up wherever I go as myself, with all my quirks and strangeness. Even though I was raised and encouraged to be myself, I remember an early moment when I was told not to be myself. When I went to my first movie with my dad, “The Jungle Book,” and my mom said something like, “Don’t be too loud.” I remember quietly laughing at funny scenes, which this movie had plenty of. I felt so proud of myself for following her instructions well. But why did it matter? Why was it important to be quiet in the movie? Was it to avoid disturbing others or perhaps not being seen as a nuisance?

Society trains us to behave in ways that match our environment, which adds limitations to our humanness. We start to establish an awareness of how to compromise our being to the liking of other people's expectations. We tend to pull out the best version of ourselves, fitting in where we are, and hide the parts that aren't accepted. Even if the other people, too, would prefer to be more loose and fun. It does require a particular skill set between what's "accepted" and what defines us.

Another aspect to consider. There is a difference between being ourselves and not being obnoxious, rude, or disrespectful. There is a fine line between being ourselves, being honest, and expressing characteristics that might hurt other people. Being ourselves involves being honest in a particular way with sincerity, care, and friendliness. It's a practice of our entire brain, moving from our amygdala (our ancient brain for protection), the hippocampus (our memory storage), to our prefrontal cortex (considering any consequences and goals).

Let’s bring the Swiss Army Knife back into this conversation. In 1880, the Swiss Army (hence the name) requested a tool that could be used for eating and for servicing a rifle in one. It took around sixteen years until the knife we know today was created by Karl Elsener. It’s a multipurpose tool that easily fits into a pocket. What made me think of a connection between our human body and a Swiss Army Knife is that it’s all in one piece, as we are discussing the aspects of bringing our whole self into all spaces, like this tool, the concept isn’t to show all facets at once but to recognize that all facets are accessible and aren’t left behind. Why limit ourselves to who we are? We are doing a disservice to ourselves and holding back our full potential from others who might have a use for the parts we leave behind because we didn't think they would benefit.

We will always encounter places where parts of who we are are not made welcome, but maybe that's a place we don't need to be in the first place. And about being loud, I am still being told not to be so loud at times, and today, I let them mind their own business.

What are your experiences of being yourself? Share your story in the comments.

#mindfulness #breathe #bepresent #compassion #love #connection #trust #awareness #swissarmyknife #wholeself #honest