“Don’t push me to be who YOU want me to be.
I’ve done that already, and it’s soul crushing.
The world’s not asking what I want or what’s important to me.
The truth is, I was created to be free.
I call bullsh*t on the way that things are
Because I was born to be a f**king star,
And so were you…”
Listen to the spoken word audio and music “It’s Time To Wake Up” Here.
Imagine a world where men and women, boys and girls, you and me, people from all over the world, from the time we were born were nurtured, loved, and supported to BE our TRUE Selves.
Imagine if we were taught to follow our hearts, our instincts, and our internal compasses, instead of the hypnotic programming of the media, which aims to make people feel powerless and broken, leaving a lifelong residue of damage to our self esteem and self worth.
Imagine if we didn’t have to spend decades trying to figure out why, if we’re truthful, so many of us feel unhappy, lost, sick, or depressed, even though we do everything the world tells us to do that “should” make us happy AND successful.
I did what I thought I was supposed to do, I crushed the American Dream at 28…and then it crushed me right back, almost took me out.
The world taught me what I should do, who I should be, and what success means, and without it, I thought I was worthless, because I was naïve, I was too young, and I attached my personal value and self worth to what I do and what I have, instead of who I REALLY AM which fuels my heart.
So I did it…
I made 1 million dollars, and soon after, I felt like something in me was going to die.
I looked like it too…
I was one of the walking dead, proudly wearing the “I’m living the American Dream happy mask” covering my face, (and my heart), while I literally had big, swollen, red shiners etched underneath each eye reflecting my inner turmoil and the feeling I had inside like I was being beaten up.
The body never lies.
The message if I had listened to it was …
“You’re on the wrong path brother, and you better do something about it quick or you’re going to die.”
To be clear, this has nothing to do with money or success, both are a good thing, it helps us live a great life, no it wasn’t that, it was because I lost myself.
I didn’t know who I was, or why I was sick, feeling beat up and miserable, it was a wake up call, a metaphoric spiritual GPS that was saying TURN AROUND now.
I would ultimately have to walk away from it all to save my own life.
And I did.
I was a repressed artist, creative, and entertainer for years; I allowed myself to be driven by being someone I wasn’t, and because of it, a part of my soul was severed and would take me years to make it whole again, and to give myself permission to listen to what I was born to do and was there since I was a kid.
Society has a message that reads like this…
“Artists starve.”
It’s Bullsh*t, and THAT’S why so many of us are hurting, because we let go of who we REALLY are and follow the Sheepwalking ways of the world that lead to mediocrity and the illusion of safety, but in reality, suffocate us.
The comfort zone will kill you.
The ones that push the edge, bust out, and take bold action, are the ones that feel alive and REALLY experience life.
It takes BIG COURAGE to go against the grain of the mundane, but it’s where life begins.
The reason that I’m doing what I love now is because I made it a must, I loved myself enough, I suffered enough, and I had to finally honor what my soul was communicating to me my whole life.
So I surrendered to it.
A REAL MAN finds strength in surrender.
Imagine if we stopped pretending and wearing our painted on smiles on the masks that cover us up while inside we’re at war with ourselves, holding ourselves prisoner because we’ve gotten so disconnected from our own Souls and our own TRUTH.
What if we gave ourselves permission to FEEL F**KING ALIVE and experience REAL JOY for once.
Don’t we all deserve it?
Don’t YOU deserve it?
How would our lives, our relationships, our love, our callings, and our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health be if let our Spirits and our hearts lead the charge and not the collective scared ego of media and societal programming that keeps us playing small, over consuming, watching endless and mindless TV, destroying our bodies with dead foods that makes us sick, and waiting to retire so that one day we can start living.
That is NOT living, that’s being a card carrying member of the walking dead.
It takes big balls, (or ovaries), to step up and listen to the badass silent wisdom within, because that sh*t will set you free.
It is the most powerful energy in the world because it’s created from LOVE, and it’ not soft, it strong.
Maybe if more of us did listen to it, and more of us led with love, compassion, and wisdom, then hatred and violence, which is born from fear, wouldn’t run us or f**k with our TRUTH anymore.
Maybe there’s a destiny, a calling, a Divine plan that trumps any lies of the intellect and the hypnosis of an unawakened society and heartless media which is only out for one thing, to control us and to keep us stuck in fear.
We are more powerful than ANYTHING that tries to keep us stuck in fear and worry.
The status quo calls for us to consume, to follow the herd, to walk the illusion of freedom while numbing our hearts, covering up our love, and dimming our lights, what little we have left considering most of us had it extinguished at a young age.
But YOU, me, ALL of us, we’re BIGGER than that noise.
We are EXTREMELY Powerful, Strong, and OVERFLOWING with enough love and spiritual power that can and will change EVERYTHING in our lives and on this planet forever if and when we CHOOSE it.
We’re big, beautiful, powerful Beings that can change this crazy ass world anytime we DECIDE to.
We’re born perfect, not perfect as in human perfection, yes we’re all flawed and a little nuts, (which make this human ride entertaining and filled with enough drama and comedy to keep us rolling in films to last a life time), but we are amazing Beings.
We each have our own gifts, talents, and powers to be who we were meant to be, born to be, and what we came here to give and share.
Our true gifts are the things that light us up, create a burning wild fire within, it glows, it has energy, it’s the “IT” factor, that very few people seem to have anymore, but make no mistake about it, it’s there inside waiting for you to give yourself permission to STEP UP, say YES, and unleash it.
SO this is a wake up call…
To go within.
To listen.
To feel.
To open your heart.
To love.
To ACT.
And to realize that YOU have the key to change your reality into the best version of life possible, for yourself and for all of us, and it’s REAL…
Don’t forget who you REALLY are, because there is NO ONE like you on this earth.
Remember your TRUE POWER and what you’re capable of, you DESERVE to experience it.
Give yourself and us the GIFT of you Living Your Truth, it will exponentially change your life and the world.
I believe in you and KNOW that you have something special that you came to share with us.
So do yourself and us a favor…
Do it.
We’re waiting for you and we need you.
I SEE YOU.
*As an extension of this article, listen to this spoken word audio and music “It’s Time To Wake Up.”
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This post is republished on Medium.
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The Good Men Project gives people the insights, tools, and skills to survive, prosper and thrive in today’s changing world. A world that is changing faster than most people can keep up with that change. A world where jobs are changing, gender roles are changing, and stereotypes are being upended. A world that is growing more diverse and inclusive. A world where working towards equality will become a core competence. We’ve built a community of millions of people from around the globe who believe in this path forward. Thanks for joining The Good Men Project.
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Photo credit: iStock
great!
Thank you Dan, appreciate that you read the piece and it spoke to you!
Absolutely fantastic article. You brought up some important points that really resonated with me. I really like how you say, “The body never lies,” when your health was deteriorating. My freshman year of college, I didn’t get sleep because of my chemistry class, and I was just miserable the first three weeks. I then stepped back and analyzed my situation. I like how you refer to the body as a “metaphoric spiritual GPS,” and my health helped me switch majors. I ended up switching from pre-med to accounting after listening to my “GPS,” and have been much happier ever since.… Read more »
Wow, thanks Kyle, what a beautiful response, I really appreciate it and you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it and comment like you did, that means a lot to me that it spoke to you, makes my work more fun and meaningful. 🙂
I’ll definitely check out the video you posted too, appreciate it brother.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the response Scott. Did it resonate with you in some way like I expected? I’m curious to hear your thoughts – it seemed like you could make some good connections to your life based on your article.
Yes, but when, Brendon, does this assumption become just another oppression, where men such as myself, who hold both the yin and yang of masculinity are now seen as incomplete, or evil because the pop-cultural exception is that men must be soft and flowery? That is not all men, not at all, but that does not mean that we are not caring, compassionate, empathetic simply because we enjoy, authentically, the hard sides of masculinity, which include strength, toughness, resilience. Sure we have to break barriers for men who are softer, and not shame them, but we stand on the edge… Read more »
Thanks for the comment. Personally, I am very in my masculine too and also very in tune with my heart. To me it has nothing to do with giving up being masculine, strong, courageous, successful, bold or any of classic definition of manhood. I ALSO embrace love, heart, soul, compassion, generosity, and kindness, the feminine energies that make the world a beautiful place, all men and all women have each at some level. They’re not exclusive, there is nothing to wrong people about, no one to shame, it’s just sharing the yin and yang as you said. I speak my… Read more »
Oh, that was not about you, but about society in general, the justice warrior giving us the “either, or”, moving us from one box to another. you are following your own path, as am I. We need to continue to answer the critiques, shut down the box factory, plow the road so that other men can follow in kind. We do that by changing the conversation from speaking at men, to listening to men and speaking at society. We all know, in our heart of hearts, who we seek to be, and who we can be. Time to teach the… Read more »
Right on DJ, I love that, shut down the box factory, that is bad ass! You’re right, there’s still SO much noise and distraction and BS beliefs that totally mess people up, but they keep defending them because they know not what they do. It is the societal programming, I talk about that a lot, we were all raised with it and are continually bombarded with it, but as we each wake up, one popcorn kernel at a time, we’ll pop our spiritual truth out and BE it, and hopefully it will keep raising the love and truth about what’s… Read more »
“but as we each wake up, one popcorn kernel at a time”
I’m laughing. That was awesome. I love a great analogy.
LOL, yeah not sure where that one came from but it works haha!
You are Awesome! I love what you shared & I love that I got to know you a little bit. Everytime I see one of your blogs or videos or hear from you in some way it lightens my day. You are a much needed light in this world! Keep up the terrific work inspiring others. It is much needed as I know mine will be when I get there. 🙂
Thank you SO much Shelby, your words go straight to my heart and keeps the energy pulsating to keep showing up and doing the work, loving and making a difference as much as I can be being me. 🙂