I've been reading and thinking. Traveling the world and moving across the country. Writing and reading. Singing and dancing. Crying and laughing. I've been living. And even though I'm no , I know that one way to wake up is to show up. So after some time away, I am here now. What I know is that if you can look within yourself in a world that tells you to look away, you can skyrocket your brand to success – whatever that version of “success” means to you.
Here's the long version of this post (and my pup):
- Step away from the status quo
Experiences are ecstatic and orgasmic. This is where all good art lives.
Use your emotions to feel the intensity of your dreams until you can't do anything except transform {click to tweet!}
Shift your alchemy because self-expression needs a release: Write. Make art. Do yoga. Run. Swim. Bike. Call a friend or call a former friend. Know that you're not alone.
The world needs your art with all of your heart. Feel into the beautiful chaos of life so that you can…
2. Become more aware and awake
I'm being tested. You're being tested. We're all being tested to clear the space so that the new world can emerge.
Can you surrender to the differences? Or do you judge?
And if you do judge, can you sit with your anger without numbing out? Or do you turn to memes and vodka mules and pseudo-positivity?
It's easy to feel optimistic when everything is going well. But the challenge is with keeping the faith when things are not working out.
As Adyashanti writes:
“This is where we come to see if we are still caught in the old ego-minded world of reactivity, anger, and fear, or if we have come upon the consciousness of wisdom and love. It is also a time when we can see if we are hiding out in transcendental ideologies of how unreal it all is as an unconscious defense against engaging with the world as it actually is.”
If we want change we have to start with ourselves. But it's not going to be easy. I'd much rather turn my gaze past the darkness to catch the sunlight. It's easier. And it's prettier.
But now is not the time to tune out.
Now is the time to experience the in-between: it is never comfortable. But it's happening for a bigger reason than we can know right now.
3. Understand the fake news “crisis.”
Not all of us are having the same experience.
Facebook's fake news writers need to make money and Facebook has more miscalculated metrics. Social media is spreading falsehoods that you want to believe!
According to Nieman Lab, “some of it is driven by ideology, but a lot is driven purely by the economic incentive structure Facebook has created: The fake stuff, when it connects with a Facebook user's preconceived notions or sense of identity, spreads like wildfire. (And it's a lot cheaper to make than real news.)”
We all look for information that supports our opinion. And we're all evolving at different speeds. We just need to remember how to use technology in a mindful way. We can no longer live in our own isolated, virtual worlds. We need to show up in real-life to anchor the new paradigm.
The ease of access to information should not blind us of our own transformation. We're often so wrapped up in our heads that we get in our own way.
The problem isn't fake news, it's the end of the news as we know it.
I refer to this concept in my book as “slow media.” We need to more actively consume slow media: media that makes us laugh, think, and question the status quo. We need to learn how to have empathy with our relationship to media.
We cannot afford to be passive consumers of information.
Know where you stand as you consume the media that flies in your face. Don't just react to headlines – go deeper. Question everything. Rise above the click-bait. Keep your mind free so that you can run your brand from an elevated place of clarity. From this place, you can skyrocket your brand to success.
