Be JJ?

     In The Happiness Project, the author's first "Personal Commandment" for herself is to "Be Gretchen".  Initially, I didn't relate to that.  I get it, be authentic and you'll be happier, but of course I "am" JJ, right?
   Oh, the "am".  The great, "I am".  My belief is that I "am" only the river of life that flows through me and all the rest of us and all living things, the energy that animates the form I'm in right now.  The big "I AM".  We call it "god," "consciousness," "holy spirit," "grace," "buddha nature," "life," "energy"... those words all point to the unnamable river.
   Gretchen is referring to the little "I am," the form, the story, the memories that compile our book, beginning to end.  The little "I am" that is SO BIG for us that we will do anything to defend against threats to it.  Loss of a job - devastating!  Yes, because it threatens survival, but the emotional devastation?  It threatens our little me.  Unemployed? That doesn't fit with my identity.  I was a teacher/broker/driver/dancer... Getting tailgated?  Of COURSE they drive a BMW, how entitled they are, who do they think they ARE?  We sort and analyze and categorize US and THEM to avoid threatening what we think we know about our"selves".
     How I can "Be JJ" to get happier, while at the same time recognize that "JJ" isn't who I am in the big "I AM" sense?  If I truly believe that the big "I AM" matters, how can it be that the life of the little"I am" makes me unhappy sometimes?  Why should it matter that I change my circumstances in a way that is more authentic in order to influence my happiness?  The only answers I can think of are that a) I am still more heavily identified with my little "me" than I think I am, and b) my outer actions aren't aligned with my inner purpose somehow.
     Anecdotally, I can say that finding ways to use my time in the car (I drive between 3-6 hours a day) by listening to podcasts and audiobooks was a great "Be JJ" way to increase my happiness - it removed sources of boredom and enriches and stimulates my mind.  For what it's worth, little me is a little happier.