The Gift of Being Human

It’s been a tough time, yes?

I almost titled this essay “How Not to Give Up Now” or “How to Survive Being Human,” but that didn’t seem to capture the essence of what I’m trying to inspire, even in myself.

I’ve been immersing myself in all things “collapse” to stay in the ‘reality’ of the current material world crises.?

This includes reading Jem Bendell’s Breaking Together,? listening to podcasts from my friend Nate Hagen (his latest Frankly episode on systemic themes for 2024), dialoguing with my colleagues in the UK hosting the Climate Majority Project, and myriad other conversations all commiserating about how wrong we’ve gone.?

Even art (which always precedes social awareness of reality) has begun to reflect an acknowledgement of our collapse. See Pattie Gonia’s “Won’t Give Up” (with Yo-Yo Ma, filmed on icebergs in Alaska) or Dolly Parton’s “World on Fire.”

A decade ago I absolutely avoided these types of doom-and-gloom scenarios because my nervous system couldn’t handle it.

Now, having done the work needed to be anchored, stable and nervous system-ready, I feel it’s my duty (someone’s gotta listen in) so I can make cogent arguments about why we need to become a different sort of human.

Now. Not later.

What Happens When We’re NOT Fully Human

One of my friends posted on social media the following image (sorry, no attribution available).

I resonated with this image for much of my human life… so much challenge/pain that I didn’t want to be here. I tried to escape a few times, and much of my first 30 years was spent disassociated from my body to avoid the pain of trauma.

It wasn’t until my body’s pain (from innumerable injuries related to being an extreme athlete) was so intense that I could no longer deny it. I had to face it or completely numb myself with pharmaceuticals and/or alcohol.?

Which I did for a bit, but it didn’t make the pain go away.

I wrote my story in The Golden Thread about the moment when I decided to try a different avenue. To look beyond conventional (western) medicine to cures or pathways I hadn’t known to explore.?

To save this one precious life.

Fast forward another 30 years, extensive experimentation, innovation and trial and error… and I can finally say that I’m glad to be human.

Yes. Glad to be human. Even now.

I feel that’s a miraculous feat for someone who wanted to leave the planet for decades.?

I’ve learned HOW to be here in human form, learn how to contribute my best work and life, AND be willing to stick around another 30+ years to help us find our way to the other side of this debacle.

So here’s my best summary of what it takes to recognize that being human is a privilege. An extraordinary opportunity to experience being a cosmic explorer.

How to Receive the Gift of Being Human

Most of us walk around in some form of denial or numbness… the despair of life's challenges keep us repressing the stark reality of what it takes to survive this world.

And yet… we must learn to find our way through the grief and despair with an open heart, so we can do our work and remain compassionate and forgive ourselves and each other for what we’ve created here on Planet Earth.

To find joy even within these circumstances.

Become anchored in our deep soul purpose so that we can be fulfilled and enjoy meaningful lives.?

And to become the inspired Creators that is our birthright, aligned with our soul-sourced Selves, that then ultimately creates coherence, resonance, superposition then synchronicity.

IMHO, the magic of synchronicity is the only way we’re gonna get ourselves out of this mess, and magic is rooted in purpose.?

And the first step to acknowledging the gifts of being a purposeful human is to become NOT numb.?

To celebrate the wonder of life on the planet, rather than being disillusioned or jaded, requires stepping into an intimate relationship with this extraordinary vehicle called your body.

STEP 1: Stop Being Numb! Get Back into Your Body.?

After many years of being dissociated from my body after childhood trauma, a long series of orthopedic injuries resulting from extreme sports led me to re-engage with my body.?

Each subsequent injury and pain required me to attend to my body and energy structure in a new way… to be available to what wanted to be nourished and witnessed.?

I attribute the pain of the various injuries to the landscape of my healing and transformative journey, and my spiritual practices and somatic awareness catapulted during these phases.?

I now consider each injury or pain a new opportunity to attend to something I’ve been ignoring … and yes it’s still ongoing and, while somewhat annoying, I welcome each encounter with this amazing sensory organ that my body is.?

What can you do, to reclaim the marvel that is your body?

Exercises to Get Into Your Body

Download this Playbook to Navigate Our Wild Future, and review Be Your Own Temple (p.11), Root Into Yourself (p. 12) and Let Your Body Talk (p. 18) for ideas about getting back into your body.

STEP 2: Wake Up to Wonder! Notice What Enlivens You.

As noted above, much of my early life I wanted to leave the planet because it was too painful… but when I stepped back into my body and became aware of the FULL experience of being human?

WTF? Nobody told me that life could be so rich, delicious, tantalizing, mind-blowing and gobsmack-good!!?

In fact, as I came back into my body and began to notice what was available through my basic 5 senses and THEN later through my transpersonal awareness…?

…holy cow.?

I realized I live in a miraculous vehicle of perceptual awareness on the most amazing orb in the cosmos, no matter what else is happening around me.

For instance…

We’re living here by the grace of gravity that holds us to the unparalleled splendor of Mother Earth. With ancient trees that bend without breaking. Skies that reflect the rare occasion of turning in conjunction with an encircling Sun and Moon. Birds whose songs adapt to their microclimate. Mammals that can be both predators and lovers. Sufficient air for an ever- burgeoning population.?

And what of the smell of a forest after a spring rain? Or the tickle of snowflakes or the crisp fall wind on your cheeks?? How about the orchestral movements of crickets chirping or bullfrogs croaking or a cat’s purr nestled in your lap?? Not to mention the slirpy juice of a blackberry or sweet plum or crunchy carrot right out of the dirt?

It all defies logic, to imagine that somehow we’ve shown up with these remarkable sensory apparati on such a bounteous globe.?

Just in case you hadn’t noticed, who else/ where else do you get to have these experiences??

Obviously, this doesn’t take into account the tragic horror also occurring on the planet now.

Yet, we are perfectly suited to experience both the splendor and horror simultaneously.?

These experiences, reflecting the fractal-holographic nature of life in the cosmos, are perfectly designed to help us witness ourselves, seeing our internal mirrored by the external, so that we may be guided to explore what’s next.

Where else might I have the opportunity to master my inner world while experiencing the magnificence of the outer? To practice involution in order to evolve, with nowhere else to escape, stretching the very skin of my Being.

What can you do, to become more awake, aware and enlivened, even in this challenging time?

Exercises to Become More Enlivened

Download this Playbook to Navigate Our Wild Future, and explore Jump the Tracks! (p. 9), Follow the Breadcrumbs (p. 10), Be Like a Rocket (p. 12), Curate Your Reality (p. 13), Look for the Good (p. 23).

And yet…

It’s Time to Double Down

The old adage, “when the going gets hard…” seems to have morphed into “taking care of my own” rather than the tough going anywhere.?

And the only thing wrong with that approach is that doubling down usually means working harder, making more money, taking care of ‘people like me,’ or making sure “I get mine” at the expense of the planet or anybody outside your tribe.?

Yet what we absolutely completely 100% without a doubt KNOW is that the only way we’ll get through this is to become the kind of human we’re meant to be. To be and do what we came here to do. To become aligned with your deepest core truth, do what matters and let nature take it from there.

We’ve got quantum physics, Mama Gaia and an entire cosmos on our side, if we can just allow it.

No matter what you’re willing to stomach or embrace…?

This Really is the Last Ticket to Ride.

We’re about 10 years past an inflection point for humanity.

Mother Earth could shake us off her skin like fleas if she chooses. She still may.

Humans have a long way to go to maturity, and it may take another 10 million years for us to be ready to live someplace like Planet Earth again.

I’m OK with that. I will reincarnate as many times as needed.

I’ll always be on the sidelines, cheering us on.

But what if… just what if we could get it right??

Turn it around?

Be the kinds of Beings that came here on purpose. Now. For all the right reasons?

What’s your story??

Do you become numb to the horrors and disillusionment? Put your head down as long as you can??

Or do you decide now that you’re also not giving up. Ready to accept that being human is? remarkable gift, AND a responsibility. Acknowledge that you have another round left in you. To express what the world needs most from you. Now.

Be the Gift.?