introducing generation WE…

I am who I have always been, but I have not always been me.

Can anyone else relate?

I awoke one day and found myself staring at a stranger in the mirror. Over time I came to realize the image looking back at me was unrecognizable because it was stamped with a series of labels that prevented my soul from being seen. Not because of the labels themselves per se, but because of the limitations they placed on me appreciating and expressing the full spectrum of my being.

My gender, my skin, my religion, my orientation, my size, my abilities, my health, my wealth, and my age; each of these labels came to represent a bar on the cage to my soul. Some offered me privilege, acceptance, and safety. Others offered me persecution, rejection, and danger.  Why was a question I could no longer ignore.

What I’ve come to understand is that the pages of our collective history have sharp edges. Whether it’s due to papercuts or severed limbs, we are each carrying the pain of our ancestors and the cyclical nature of survivalism. The problem is generational, but it has nothing to do with the concept of the generations.

In fact, identifying as part of any one generation - Boomer, X, Millennial, Z - merely speaks to a set of cultural reference points that define how we, humans, have reacted to certain sets of internal and external stimuli. Historical events, like wars; natural disasters, like droughts; social mores, like segregation; economics, like inflation; technology, like cell phones; etc. all come to define the values and behaviors of our lived reality.

On the surface it can appear as if each new generation is literally living in a different world and speaking a different language. But are we, really? We are still and have always been us; all part of the same species. I want to belong, to feel safe, to feel respected, to embrace connection, and to experience love. You too, right?

The notion that my age, or the age I was born in, makes me either wise or out of touch simply is not true. My physical body, and the circumstances of my life, are merely the container of my evolution, yours too.

The presumed generation gap is not what keeps us trapped in a perpetual game of tug-of-war between progress and reversion, it is the generational trauma we continue to pay forward. The rope pulling us apart is the fear that we don’t belong, and it is strangling us. This fear is a by-product of what we have come to call civilization, and the systems of hierarchies that have governed our human experience since the beginning of time.

These systems have us mired in the illusion of what it means to be the perfect human - the human that belongs, the human that is worthy of receiving protection, nourishment, and pleasure. As a result, we continue to teach bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, and all the other crap that keeps us besting one another in our efforts to feel worthy.

Generation after generation we face the same traumas, because we have yet to heal them. Generation after generation we feel not enough, because we have yet to understand our inherent worth in all its complexities.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, what gender you identify as, the color of your skin, who you love, how you pray, or where you live. We are each affected by a history that has schooled our brains to act and react in a binary manner: that is, to believe there are only two options available at any given moment in time, one which is good, the right way, and one that is bad, the wrong way. This thought pattern has us stuck in absolutes that don’t support or reflect the true nature of our beings.

As a result, our trauma keeps playing out louder and louder within us, in the form of anxiety, and around us, in the vitriol of the world stage.

From the pandemic, to police brutality, to record numbers of mass shootings, and all the other forms of destruction currently bombarding us, it can feel like humanity is done for. But, I contend the opposite. Instead of the end of times being upon us, I think we are witnessing the beginning of a new era; an age that recognizes and welcomes us living as our authentic selves.

I believe our potential to shift into a more comprehensive understanding of our humanness has never been greater. The time to engage our emotional intelligence and sixth sense is now, and we are equipped to make the transition. This may sound daunting, but I know I am experiencing a shift in my consciousness and I can see that many others are too.

Humanity is at a precipice. We have outgrown the camps of elders vs youths, and all the other divides amongst us. To survive going forward, we will need to thrive, which entails existing as our full spectrum selves.

Thrival requires us to address the entirety of our needs. Yes, food, shelter, clothing, and belonging are critical, but those barely cover the basics. To embrace our higher needs, such as self-actualization, healing, and transcendence of binary limitations, we must satisfy our needs for respect, creativity, and wonder as well.

Where we are headed is more of a come as you are party. And while everyone is invited, attendance is both optional and voluntary.

I believe the vast terrain of our mental health and well-being is the next frontier for our growth as a species. Conscious evolution is the manifestation of our emotional fitness. I hope you will join me in my desire to become in better shape; body, mind, and soul. The work is intergenerational, intersectional, and intentional. Come prepared to stretch every fiber of your being as you learn and unlearn, as you feel and heal. 

My vision for Generation WE is this: we stop being shitty to ourselves and each other, instead we focus on being authentically us. The stories and observations in these pages are designed to bear witness to what generational trauma looks like, and provide insight into ways we can change our behavior to create a more humane world. As always, the way forward is through.

We can create better, but that WE will have to create it together.