We’re taught from the start that something is missing, that we must fix ourselves to find peace. But what if the key isn’t in perfecting or erasing our flaws, but in embracing them — finding freedom in the beautiful mess of being human?
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Do we have to banish our demons before we can truly live?
The self-help, personal growth, spiritual awakening movements often rest on the premise that something is inherently wrong with us. From the moment we’re born — before we can reason or understand words — we’re conditioned to believe we’re missing something, that we’re broken. This belief is embedded so deeply it lingers until the day we die, whereupon we may finally realize it was never true.
I’ve wrestled with my own shadows, adopting or misappropriating ideas and beliefs that took root within me. They thrived on the frustrations and confusion I felt about life and the people in it. Yet beneath it all, I’ve always been driven by a desire to improve the human condition — starting with myself.
Music and words are my chosen mediums, complemented by still and moving pictures and a willingness to unravel life’s mysteries. This realm is a very curious place indeed. Feeling my way through has always been at the heart of it. And though words often come close, they’re never fully sufficient. Maybe the next song, the next essay, or the next thought will bring clarity. Isn’t it true, though, that we sift through countless books, studies, and conversations just to uncover a few morsels of wisdom?
But here’s the thing: since we can never truly “get it done” — not in one lifetime, nor a thousand — should we obsess over fixing everything? How could we possibly be here to save anyone or anything?
As a modern culture, we exist in a chaotic, tangled mess. It’s infuriating and liberating all at once — how wildly and extravagantly we live across the vast spectrum of human experience. Every size, shape, color, emotion, and disposition is expressed somewhere by someone. So extraordinary. So terrifying. So… eerily perfect.
There’s no disguising the wounds of the heart, nor should there be. Betrayal cuts so deeply it never fully fades. But self-betrayal, self-denial, and self-loathing? These we can heal. Through conscious awareness, authentic living, and periodic spiritual upheaval, we can fundamentally transform the stories we tell ourselves.
Life doesn’t ask us to conquer fear; it asks us to engage with it. It’s not just about “feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” It’s about feeling the fear, accepting it, and stepping forward because something inspired within us dares to seek the unknown — something challenging, uncomfortable, and potentially beautiful.
Because beyond fear lies knowing. And all knowing is available… when we’re ready.
Solvitur ambulando
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“Real Me [The Fantabulous Mix]” from Wander… Another Path