The physical you that you know so well is just a tiny portion of the whole you. The physical you is driven mostly by your ego to deal with the day-to-day tasks of living in the world.

When we say You Can Choose, we don’t mean just the you that you point to, but the whole you. We call this ‘whole you’ the Whole-Self. Your Whole-Self is made up of three ‘selves.’

The Active-Self is the self that is most familiar. This is the self that talks, walks, and thinks. It is often referred to as the ego self.

The Believing-Self is the self that is just below the surface. The Believing-Self keeps track of all the rules, patterns, stories and beliefs to deal with life.

The Greater-Self is at a far different level – it is much more expansive and all-encompassing, almost god-like. It’s still you, but with a much larger perspective.

We use the analogy of a tree. Like all analogies, it’s not perfect, but it can bring some clarity, and it will be useful as we continue to describe the Whole-Self in more detail. 

GREATER-SELF

Think of the root system of the tree as the Greater-Self. Like the roots of a tree, you don’t see them and usually pay little attention to them, but they provide nourishment, the base foundation and general direction for the tree. Our Greater-Self provides the same for us.

BELIEVING-SELF

The trunk and branches of the tree represent the Believing-Self. The branches and trunk of a tree grow stronger over time and are slow to change. Your beliefs, like the trunk and branches of a tree, provide form and structure to your thoughts and the type of life experiences you have during your lifetime.

ACTIVE-SELF

The leaves are like your Active-Self. When you look at a tree, you first see the leaves. The leaves come and go but are just as vital to the tree as they guide the tree’s growth by providing energy through the conversion of sunshine. You can tell the type, health, and vigor of a tree by simply inspecting the leaves.

All parts of the tree are essential. The leaves, branches, and roots all work in unison for the tree to thrive, just as all three Selves work together for you. You can’t have a tree without some type of root system, branches, and leaves.

All three of our Selves – the Greater-Self, the Believing-Self, and the Active-Self are involved when you make choices throughout your lifetime. It’s your Whole-Self that creates your uniqueness and directs the life you lead.