Are You Your Body

Or, Do You Have Your Body

Only one of those two things can be true

 I know that might be a little deep for some readers

Consciousness 101 is deep

What you are - is your awareness
Read that again - are you with me here?
All the rest is just like wearing this fur coat
Bodies are real but do you think with your arm?

 Wait. What?

Thoughts are not real and yet we work with our own minds every day
I hope you will all tell me about your experience swimming 40 laps in 40 minutes
Please do not break your body attempting to complete this exercise in a single session

As my taunt catches on, perhaps I'll produce video proof to back up my story
Let me assure you I have the swimming and video editing skills to do all of that

Please give me some lead time as I'm producing under extreme circumstances
My challenge is my taunt and my taunt is extended to everyone. Ready?

I shall taunt you a second time. As far as accepting my challenge..
I'm not sure what would stop a person but I can imagine a few things
Kids - jobs - time - exhaustion - lack of motivation - lack of conditioning

That is my joke. This challenge is hard as hell! I still want to see people do it
This memoir is all about what I had to do to come in anywhere near that time
It has taken me over two years to condition myself and rehab from my injuries
Then it took me another year to create, structure and format the story about it

Lesson Summary

In "Consciousness 101," the author delves into the concept of identity and the connection between consciousness and the physical body. The key points include:

• Identity: Are you your body or do you merely possess a body?
• Awareness: Your true essence lies in your awareness.
• Body versus Mind: While bodies are tangible, thoughts and consciousness are not material entities.

The author challenges readers to push their physical limits by swimming 40 laps in 40 minutes but cautions against risking injury by attempting it in one session. The author plans to provide video evidence of accomplishing this feat.

Despite joking about the difficulty of the challenge, the author emphasizes their desire to witness others complete it. The memoir shares the journey of conditioning, overcoming injuries, and the lengthy process of documenting the experience.