Challenging the Status Quo in 2021

Let me ask you something.

Do you ever struggle to show up in the world as your true self?

I don’t know about you but I often feel this disconnect between who I am on the inside and how I live my life.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, which is why I’m so keen to get your take on it.

We live in a world that teaches us to live masked and armoured lives. This division, between who we are on the inside and the persona we project, not only causes us immense pain but it robs the world of a much needed ray of light that only we can bring.

It feels like this separation between sole and role, between who we are and who we are told to be, is why so many of us struggle with our mental and emotional health.

It’ s why our education and healthcare systems are crumbling, why our governments are often corrupt, why our workplaces are too often toxic, and why so many of us do not achieve the deep and meaningful relationships we so yearn for.

Many of us are raised in cultures that teach us to be scared of who we are, cultures that devalue the inner life. We are taught that in order to feel safe we must bury our true selves, we must stay silent about things we know are not okay, we must turn a blind eye to the many systems in this world that make us sick.

Our education system teaches us to think but never to feel. Our healthcare professionals struggle to sit with the grief of their patients because nobody has ever taught them how to process their own. Our relationships rarely scratch the surface because we are rarely taught how to truly connect with others.

I find it easier to stay silent and hide than I do to speak out. I often disappear into myself because I feel that I don’t have anything valuable or important to say. Maybe you can relate?

But we all see some issue in this world that makes us angry or hurts us and if we stay silent, that issue has one less voice. We can’t afford one less voice.

What we most need in 2021 is you. We need your voice. We need you to speak up about that issue you feel passionate about. We need to see and hear you.

Let’s challenge and push back this year and let’s do it together.