Unboxing the self →
Even though society has evolved a lot, most of its institutions follow a culture that confines the freedom of self-expression. That is sad, because not being self-expressed means not being happy.
Image copyright James Yang
The rise of agriculture and industry, shaped work and education as contexts that required individuals to be punctual, follow directions and tolerate long hours of tedius work. Your own sense of progress, higher purpose and autonomy were concepts that didn’t resonate quite well with the thinking of the leaders of that time: “Why is it every time I ask for a pair of hands, they come with a brain attached?” - Henry Ford. In many places around the world, educational and professional environments stil follow the same philosophy.
My belief is that self-expression is fundamentally connected to happiness. Unfortunately, even if the educational and professional environment allowed for more self-expression, it would still be challenging to trully be yourself. We live in a complex environment and there are many contexts that influence natural self-expression - most of the times in some of the most ugliest ways.
Discovery is an approach that fosters self-expression. Being in a discovery mindset allows you to expose yourself and the surrounding context to the light of awareness. Even though awareness is a huge shift that most of the time allows you to carefully craft a response rather than mindlessly react to a certain situation, it is not enough. Sometimes the response that you have to give requires courage, authenticity and integrity. Being a discoverer is about finding the path but also about walking the path.
You can quickly recognize people that express themselves naturally by simply asking “What do you do?”. They’ll answer your question enthusiastically, pasionately and authentically. They’ll tell you a story about their work or about their life and they’ll even share the lessons that they’ve learned along the way. They’re good “friends” with the status quo but they always take one step further, discovering, inventing - not for the purpose of fame and fortune but rather for offering better, more effective alternatives to what already is available. Healthy profits (or benefits - call them however you want) come along as a natural consequence of helping people to solve a problem more effectively.
I love these people. To me, their dynamism, their strong integrity and their authentic curiosity, is empowering and inspiring in the same time. They are people that are truly self-expressed.
