I am human

Nicola Sturgeon – First Minister of Scotland – resigned a couple of weeks ago hinting at some reflection on personal wellbeing when she said “Giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it – the country deserves nothing less.”

At the beginning of this year then Aotearoa New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her plans to retire, saying “I no longer have enough in the tank.” She went on to say “I am human.”

I AM HUMAN.

I was so struck when I heard her say that. It was familiar. In the past, I had felt that need to remind myself and the world.

When my American husband and I moved to California from Europe 7.5 years ago, I also decided to leave my 26-year corporate career.

I could have picked up where I left off and gone on to “thrive” in corporate America, but I just didn’t feel like I had anything left to give. I couldn’t do “it” anymore.

After 26 years, I felt that I could no longer perform like a machine, expected to be alert 24/7 to the needs of my job, to arrange my life around it, to change plans at the last minute for anything work-related, to make it my number one priority – before my physical and emotional health.

Of course, this was not simply something that affected me, it’s simply how we live today. It’s the water we all swim in.

You may have heard me talk about internalized capitalism before. The term refers to the acceptance and incorporation of capitalist values, beliefs, and behaviors into an individual’s own mindset and identity.

Here are some examples of what is considered “normal” today.

1. feeling that your self-worth is tied to your productivity;

2. feeling guilty when you engage in something pleasurable;

3. equating rest with laziness;

4. grading all activities according to how it will help you “win” (promotion, status, …);

5. prioritizing work over your health;

6. prioritizing work over many or all of your personal relationships;

7. using overworking as a badge of honor;

8. striving for optimization (of everything in life) because there is always something to improve.

In this sense, internalized capitalism goes beyond the economic system of capitalism itself. I believe that this internalization seriously impacts our individual and collective mental and physical well-being.

You may have heard of The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting as alternatives that people have turned to instead of white knuckling it through life.

It is up to us – individually and collectively – to redefine what being human means in the context of 21st century living.

What does being human mean to you, and how do you change your own universe?

Here are some steps you might consider:

1. Educate yourself: seek out information about the systems of oppression that have impacted you, or that you have been a part of, including their history, causes, and effects.

2. Connect with supportive communities: seek out people and communities who support and uplift you on your path.

3. Engage in advocacy and activism: challenge systems of oppression and work towards creating a more equitable society. It doesn’t have to be in loud and/or overt ways – start where you can.

4. Most importantly: practice self-care and self-compassion. Take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically. Treat yourself and fellow beings with kindness and understanding on this human journey you and we are all on.

I’d love to hear your reflections on how you are practicing the attitudes of BEing more and DOing less.