The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become.

Ben Herbster

Albert Camus stated that man and woman are the only creatures that refuse to be what they really are. But what are we, really, and how can we become what we are supposed to be?

One of the challenges today is embracing the truth about ourselves. As a Christian, I believe that I am made by God in His image and likeness and that He made me to be in free, loving relationship to Himself, to others and to all of His creation. It was He who imprinted in my mind the moral law and gave me free will to be able to choose right from wrong. He also gave me a conscience—the guardian of my soul.

Today, what it means to be a person has often been distorted. Some have denied the spiritual essence of the human person and looked upon a human being as a material entity and only that.

Because we have lost sight of this, we live in an era in which the cult of the body, physical appearance, becomes a matter of absolute ultimate importance.

Because we have lost sight of who we are, we allow our senses and passions to rule our bodies and our actions.

My body is an integral part of who I am but I am more than my body. My body is my faithful companion of my soul on her earthly pilgrimage, it is an essential part of my composite nature. I am meant to do, as St Paul said, and offer my body as a living liturgy every moment of my life, holy and pleasing to God.

Finding/knowing our true self is not simply a function of seeing things correctly. It is also a way of living. When one lives in a holy way, one discovers who one really is.

Culture—including subculture(s)—and traditions shape our behaviour and consciousness in many ways. Culture is an integral part of our everyday lives, for instance, our beliefs (including our, religious beliefs, philosophy, ideas), morals, values, behaviours, law, customs, language/dialect and material objects such as art, music, architecture etc. We learn culture and this creates our way of life. But culture is not static. It is in a constant state of change and can easily be lost, for example, the extended family.

While we all acknowledge the rich traditions and cultures of T&T and those of other countries, we don’t always emulate the best of other cultures. For example, it is now seen as part of “we” culture for our women and men to clothe themselves in the scantiest of garments during Carnival and wine up in a manner that disrespects our God-given bodies.

Our corporeal body is the temple of our soul. We are influenced by the morals, values and principles that are instilled in us as we grow—in our homes, our educational institutions, our workplaces, our communities, our society at large. In many ways, we are the products of the society and the communities in which we live.

If we wish to find our true selves, then we must promote and celebrate the positive aspects of our culture and traditions which help us to create a culture of life, and move away from the culture of death that overshadows our land.

I know that there are many, like myself, who grew up in homes where the following were fostered: positive morals, values, principles, virtues, positive self-image and self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect, self-honesty, self-control and self-management.

However, because of our human frailty, some of the negative aspects of modern-day living can prevent us from being our true selves. This is why we need divine intervention to assist us to return to our true selves—through prayer.

We live at a time in world history when the desire to be free and independent has become the driving force in many people’s lives. Unfortunately, many do not really understand the meaning of these concepts.

No one can be truly free or independent. Freedom cannot be absolute; it is relative. While we have civil and political rights, including freedom of speech, religion, and association, we also have responsibilities. My rights and freedom are limited by yours. My talent, family situation, job, wealth, cultural norms and the laws of the land constrain and circumscribe my freedom and choices.

Many are deluded into believing that they are totally free and independent. This erroneous belief is fuelled by the media, by the current trend in many parts of the world in which the enemies of true freedom and independence prevail.

What are the enemies that ensnare us and make us forget who we are: individualism (if it feels good do it), selfishness, moral relativism, liberalism, greed, envy, negative peer pressure, materialism and so on.

These “enemies” prevent us from unlocking the doors and embracing our true selves. They prevent us from realising who we really are; from growing and developing as individuals and as members of the wider community.

We don’t need a microscope to find these enemies—they are all around us and threaten to engulf us. They are characterised by crime and violence, alcoholism, drug/substance abuse, domestic violence, incest, lack of respect for life, pornography etc.

The ego and selfishness of many people cause them to be more concerned with themselves than with their families. This is an age in which individualism has been emphasised to the point of absurdity.

By glorifying individualism as an end in itself, we are promoting a meaningless existence. You may have read about the couple who left their five-year-old and eight-year-old children alone at home in the USA to go miles away to LA for five days over the New Year holidays. Now they will be charged for neglecting their children.

In order for us to return to our true selves, we need to take action to clear the algae in our lives; to move away from what has clouded our vision; to let go and let God in.

St Augustine’s powerful words are appropriate here. He said, “our hearts are restless, Lord, until they find their rest in you.

We can allow the divine spark in each of us to sparkle if we develop our spirituality. No one can do it for you. Only you can master yourself; only you can control yourself and find inner peace.

We can train our minds so that even if the body wishes to flow in one direction towards decay and chaos, the mind and the spirit won’t flow along with it.

Let us free ourselves from the shackles of the evils of our times; commit ourselves to rediscover, bond with, and reassert our true selves and experience the joys of living as God wants us to live.

And remember, we discover who we are and value what we are becoming when we serve others in the name of God.

Leela Ramdeen is Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice