A wiser way to be human
Because being who we're "supposed to be" is working against us
Yesterday I wrote you a haiku. Because haiku is brilliantly succinct and precise. This Japanese form affords us exactly seventeen syllables—which requires getting to the essence of things. Because honestly I could potentially write an entire book about this subject but I’m too busy living it, so I need to be concise. So what I have for you today is a very small poem about something incredibly big: who you truly are, what lives inside you, and why it’s so vital that we get to experience it.
I walk through the world with a knowing that lives so potently in my body sometimes it feels like it’s going to burst through my skin. This humming cellular truth also happens to be wildly, radically in opposition to the way our society is arranged. The discrepancy between what I know on the inside and what’s happening on the outside has often resulted in me feeling crazy or ashamed.
But is it me who is crazy or is it modern civilization that is unbalanced and unhinged? More and more of us are questioning the sanity of how our society operates. Which is good. Because the status quo is squishing the life out of us. We live in a world that tells us who and how we need to be in order to belong and have our needs met. So we work hard to look, sound, do, perform, and appear how we’re “supposed to.” Not because we’re foolish or shallow but because this is what we were taught. From day one.
It’s not our fault. But it is making us miserable. Because the “supposed to’s” don’t serve us or the people around us, they serve the machinery. Machinery as in modern civilization. Modern civilization as in the paradigms and systems that value some people over other people, corporate profit over the health of the earth, and political control over the well-being of humanity.
I believe we came here to enjoy being alive and with each other on this beautiful planet but somehow we each got handed a script to a very different story. We do our valiant best to fill the part we were given but to our deep bewilderment, the play itself is destructive.
What if the whole set-up was utterly different? What if you were born into a culture and a clan of humans where everyone looked out for you? What if as you grew up, everyone around you was curious to find out who you really are because they knew the gifts that live inside you would benefit them and that the well-being of the whole depended on you becoming your true self? Can you imagine this reality? Can you imagine living that story? Did you know that this is primarily how human beings used to live? And that despite centuries of genocide, there remain indigenous people that still hold this wisdom?
This approach to life, raising children, and discovering who we are in the world isn’t romantic, it’s intelligent. Living from the inside-out instead of the outside-in is incredibly smart and efficient. Shaping ourselves to fit externally-imposed “supposed tos” takes massive energy to achieve and maintain. Trying to be anything other than what we truly are is costly. The effort to conform to the script erodes our personal health and integrity and keeps the destructive machinery of modern civilization moving forward. Yet any brief skim of the news reveals abundant evidence that this machinery isn’t working out very well for us. Perhaps it’s time for a new story?
I believe the way to a more whole world (and healthier, more fulfilling lives) is to be more fully ourselves. The machine of modern civilization is tearing the world apart. What we need more of is fully alive humans bringing their big hearts and unique creativity to the table. We need your gifts. Your voice. Your art. Your ideas. Your stories. We need the truth that lives inside you. Your outside-the-box quirky weirdness. We need your aliveness.
And as essential as it is for the rest of us to receive your gifts, what might be even more valuable is that you receive them. That you live them. That you let them unfold and express through you. Because allowing our gifts to flow brings us to life. It vitalizes us. What we offer others is also medicine for us. It’s my deep sense that what we need most in these challenging times is people who are living the fullness of who they are.
That’s why I dare to publish my poems and stories here at The New Story. That’s why I do the work I do—showing healers, teachers, artists, coaches, and innovators who would rather not do marketing how to get their message so clear that their business thrives. And that’s why I’m SO EXCITED to teach a class this week for anyone who is curious about sharing their art/writing/ideas/stories/voice/work with others online. Because we need the gifts you carry and I want to see you fully alive + sharing your wise-juicy-weirdness with the rest of us.
Are you a creative human who is curious about publishing with a super easy tool/vibrant platform/healthy ecosystem that is designed to help you connect with people who are really into what you have to share?
We meet Tuesday, October 10th at 1:00pm Pacific, it’s just $30, and we’re going to have fun. This class is called Something Inside You and we’ll be talking about how you can share what’s inside you with a community of people who value what you offer…and how Substack makes the tech easy so you can focus on doing what you’re good at and sharing your gift with the rest of us.
I believe poetry is a song that is meant to be heard as well as read. A poem is a journey for the senses, not just the mind. I invite you to sit back and listen:
Your gift What we need is you. Not who you’re “supposed to be” but what lives in you. —Kai Madrone October 6, 2023
If you’re feeling called to start sharing what lives inside you with others via a blog/newsletter/online community, I invite you join me on Tuesday. Click the button below for details and feel free to hit reply and email me if you have any questions. Let’s get you set up on Substack and get your writing/voice/art out in the world!
I love this haiku. I wasn't much of a haiku reader until recent years (Ed converted me). Now I really appreciate the form. Thank you for sharing this. Best wishes for the course. What a terrific offering!
I love you. Thanks for putting these words and your class into the world. Anyone who participates with undoubtedly be blessed, inspired and be able to take gentle action.