In a world where injustice is becoming more and more clear, activism is on the rise. “Activism” simply means advocating for the change you want to see in the world.

If Shame is part of our activism game

we aren’t truly embodying the change we want to see in the world.

The way we Show Up as an activist matters.

Don’t get me wrong,

there’s not much more difficult than feeling like the world is broken and no one cares.

But this is our work.

Our work is to channel that energy, that rage, towards the levers of change.

Our work is to examine the pain beneath that rage.

What does injustice mean to me?

Why does it hurt when others don’t seem to care?

What is the experience of feeling small & powerless?

Why am I so easily triggered?

When we sit with these questions, we can begin to know the activist.

We learn the Roots of our own pain - our Connection to the human experience.

When we heal ourSelves,

we reclaim our power and increase our capacity to be an agent of change.

The world only changes when we change.

I know so many beautiful souls who feel like they aren’t doing enough

and it breaks my heart.

The truth is that more than anything,

the world needs truly compassionate, caring humans.

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As a chronic “I want to change the world”-er (technical term), I have expended vast amounts of my mental, emotional, and spiritual energy trying to figure out what I can Do to make a meaningful impact.

What has become clear to me though is that we change the world through who we are Being.

Don’t get me wrong, action matters, but even more foundational, and critical, than that is:

Who we are & how we Show Up in the world.

If you are always working towards a cause & burning yourSelf out,

You are not making the full impact that you desire to.

In this scenario, you may be doing important work from a logistical standpoint,

but you are not embodying the energy that can truly change the Collective (and likely what you care so deeply about) at its Root.

Your nervous system is still aligned with the Paradigm that is perpetuating the issue you so desperately want to change.

Changing Paradigms requires embodying the energy of the change we wish to see.

The change we make in the world - the impact we have on Life itself - is an imprint of our nervous system.

In other words, it isn’t what we Do as much as who we are and how we Show Up.

When we choose Joy & Rest, we are choosing a different Paradigm.

Choosing Joy & Rest is an act of rebellion within the current broken Paradigm.

Prioritizing Joy & Rest is choosing Connection with Self.

Prioritizing Joy & Rest opens up Space for us to Connect with others and Nature.

Prioritizing Joy & Rest is choosing

stillness over movement

quiet over noise

regulation over dysregulation

Connection over Disconnection

Prioritizing Joy & Rest changes the world.

When the stakes are high - as they are now and will be increasingly in years and decades to come - it feels counterintuitive and even downright impossible or shameful to Rest or experience Joy.

It’s so easy to feel like you can’t Rest until the injustice goes away.

It’s so easy to burn yourSelf out from a place of passion.

It’s so easy to let the rage keep your system in a constant state of activation.

We must avoid this at all costs my friend.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you cannot feel good just because others don’t.

Once we give in to that,

We lose our Power.

We lose our Potency.

We water ourSelves & our life force down.

We dampen our ability to create change.

Your Privilege & Safety create the ideal environment for you to Support those who are suffering.

Your ability to gift yourSelf Joy & Rest is precious.

Joy & Rest are the building blocks of collective liberation.

When we can embody Joy & Rest ourSelf,

we are doing the work of regulating the nervous system of the Collective.

We’re so used to creating Disruption by Doing

that we completely miss the effectiveness of creating change by Being.

Our nervous systems are collectively programmed to believe that Being isn’t enough.

We need Doing, but we also need Being.

It takes more capacity to embody Joy & Rest than it does Action & Rage.

Privilege & Safety are a gift.

Have the utmost gratitude for them.

Utilize them to Rest & experience Joy -

to create Connection with Self, others, & Nature.

This is what heals the Collective at the Root.

Rest.

Play.

Connect.

Experience Beauty & gather your energy.

Then let your passion out from that grounded, powerful place.

Get angry.

Speak up.

Stand up for what is right.

Do the work the world needs.

Then Rest & Recharge.

Create the safety for yourSelf that you wish was available for all.

Create Space.

Generate Energy.

Engage Powerfully.

Disengage Gracefully.

Create Space.

And the cycle begins again.

This is how you Show Up as the most Potent, Powerful version of yourSelf.

This is how you create change in the Collective at its Roots.

Who are you going to Be in 2024?

How are you going to Show Up?

What will your energetic signature be?

What nervous system imprint will you contribute to the Collective?

How will you experience Joy & Rest?

Our existence is a miracle.

The way our human body functions and keeps us alive.

The fact that we keep real, live animals as pets.

That all life births new life.

Gravity keeps us connected to the ground (but doesn’t crush us.)

Plants and trees help to (re)generate the air that we breathe.

Sunlight feeds all plant matter, which in turn feeds everything that feeds us.

Life is a miracle.

Nature is a miracle.

Here’s to hoping…

That we can learn to slow down enough to acknowledge these miracles more often…

That we can take the opportunity to experience Wonder & Awe…

That we can give ourSelves the gift of Connecting with what is truly real and meaningful…

Our existence is a miracle.

Let’s not take it for granted.

“The shame I felt was because I was human.”

I recently finished reading Jane Goodall’s book Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey. What a gift she is - a true Big Thinker & Deep Feeler. I’ll be doing a more holistic reflection on the book, but I wanted to set aside some space to specifically address one aspect of it - her observations of our relationships, as humans, with animals and her insight into this given her in depth study of chimpanzees.

In Reason for Hope, Miss Goodall takes us on a journey ranging from beauty to horror. From the magical green forests of Gombe to the cruel, torture chambers that we call laboratories. This journey covers much ground experientially and emotionally. Many of the stories were painful to read. It isn’t easy to hear that the incredible chimpanzees, clearly capable of intellect and emotion, would at times maul one another - ganging up to mutilate a selected target. Stories like this pierce the fantasy that Nature is all beauty and grace. (Nature has always been brutal, but I think that sometimes we romanticize it.)

Worse though, were the stories Jane recounted about visiting laboratories doing testing on animals.

“I am still haunted by the memory of Barbie’s eyes, and the eyes of the other chimps I saw that day. They were dull and blank, like the eyes of people who have lost all hope; like the eyes of children I have seen in Africa, refugees who have lost their parents and their homes. Chimpanzee children are so like human children, in so many ways… And their emotional needs are the same – both need friendly contact and reassurance and fun and the opportunity to engage in wild bouts of play. And they need love.”

“I knelt down in front of JoJo, and he reached as much of his hand as he could between the thick bars that formed a barrier between us. The bars were all around him, on every side, above and below. He had already been in this tiny prison for at least ten years; ten years of utter boredom interspersed with periods of fear and pain. There was nothing in his cage save an old motor tire for him to sit on. And he had no opportunity to contact others of his kind. I looked into his eyes. There was no hatred there, only a sort of gratitude because I had stopped to talk to him, helped to break the terrible grinding monotony of his day. Gently, he groomed the ridges where my nails pressed against the thin rubber of the gloves I had been given, along with mask and paper cap. I pushed my hand in between the bars and, lip smacking, he groomed the hairs on the back of my wrist, peeling the glove down.”

“He and many others of the three hundred or so chimpanzees earned their keep; their bodies were rented to pharmaceutical companies for testing drugs or vaccines.”

These stories are disturbing because we can’t simply chalk it up to, “Nature is brutal.” We have the capacity to understand the effects of our actions. Choosing to ignore that, and to harm another living creature despite it, is a sickness of mind, heart, and soul. It is a disorder of Disconnection. The irony is that we create this Disconnection between ourselves and our mammal family because we are “higher functioning.” Does this seem so from the current vantage point?

The kicker here is that this Disconnect is only our perception, we can’t actually change our relationship with Nature. All of Life is Interconnected, so when we try to (artificially) Sever that Connection - pain is caused on both sides of that severance. In this case, the animal pain is obvious while ours as humans is much more subtle. We cannot see the pain that we inflict on ourSelves by doing this, but it is there. There is a spiritual wounding that occurs deep below the surface, one that goes unnoticed to the Disconnected heart and soul, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there - or that it doesn’t manifest in dis-ease of the spirit. Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and purposelessness don’t come from nowhere - these aren’t innate to our True Nature. These are diseases of Disconnection. (I’m not suggesting that these have a single cause or that they are our only “diseases of Disconnection.”)

If we took the time to observe animals other than ourselves, we would see playfulness, communication, and intelligence. But because we don’t, it is easy to dismiss them as objects, rather than the living, feeling beings that they are. I believe that we do this subconsciously, so that it is easier to use them for our own benefit, so that we can live with mistreating them and causing them physical pain. How many of us think twice before biting into a burger, one that is made from the flesh of a cow that gave its “life” - of living in cramped, stressful, disgusting conditions - for us?

“At this point I want to make it quite clear that I do not condemn the eating of meat per se—only the practice of intensive farming. Let the meat eaters among us—most of my friends—try to partake of the flesh of animals who have enjoyed their lives and have been killed in the most painless way possible. And could we not offer up a prayer for the spirit of the once living creature that has died for us? In the olden days people did just that. Indigenous peoples still do. Any little thing that brings us back into communion with the natural world and the spiritual power that permeates all life will help us to move a little farther along the path of human moral and spiritual evolution.”

All of this Disconnection is possible due to the layer of separation we create between “us” and “them.” Like any “othering” this makes it easy to lack, or be completely devoid of, empathy - to Severe our natural Connection.

It is terribly sad that we allow this to happen - that we, knowingly or unknowingly, perpetuate these deranged behaviors with the products we buy or the food we eat. I don’t think that shaming ourSelves and our behaviors is helpful, but I think that acknowledging them is. I think that opening ourSelves up to even some of the pain that we’ve caused is a good place to start. Slowly but surely, we can start the process of Restoring our Connection with our fellow animals. We can choose to buy and eat humanely-raised meat. We can eat less of it, or maybe even stop eating it altogether. We can say a quick “thank you” to the living creature that gave its life for us before we eat it (I have been engaging in this practice for some time now and while it may seem silly, it’s been meaningful to me.) We can buy products that aren’t tested on animals. We can even simply pause to watch the birds in our backyards and acknowledge their aliveness (a personal favorite.)

I’m not perfect. I do things that are out of alignment with my best intentions at times. It turns out it's difficult to change the way we’ve always lived and to bypass the conveniences of our modern, rushed lives. But I’m learning. I’m trying to be better. I’m trying not to blindly ignore the truths of our Disconnected ways. I’m trying to acknowledge my True Nature as a mammal and Restore my Connection with the natural world.

I believe that this is where we need to start. To Restore Connection, even if slowly, to other inhabitants of this Earth, to the whole of Nature. To pause long enough to see that we’re part of the same whole. To acknowledge our Interconnectedness. To admit that we’ve done wrong - that we’ve brought harm to Life, and therefore ourSelves.

We are all inherently Connected. We as humans can create as much Disconnection as we’d like, for our own comfort and agendas, but as long as we do, we hurt ourSelves. We’re a part of Nature, not separate from it. When we dismiss, and harm, other parts of the whole, it does just as much damage whether we acknowledge it or not.

I hope that we can begin to heal these Disconnections because Life is so utterly beautiful. It would be a tragedy to waste such a magical existence.

“It seemed to me, as I struggled afterward to recall the experience, that self was utterly absent: I and the chimpanzees, the earth and trees and air, seemed to merge, to become one with the spirit of life itself.”

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Billionaires are part of the problem.

Moreover, a socioeconomic system that allows billionaires is the problem.

I’m so sick of this capitalistic rhetoric that,

“They worked for it, they deserve to enjoy the spoils!”

Fuck.

This.

Shit.

Do you have any fucking idea the disgusting excess of that kind of money?

* 10 billionaires own more than 200 million African women (nearly ⅓) combined

* 81 billionaires own almost half of the world’s wealth

* Billionaires emit a million times more carbon than the average person

* A mere 5% of billionaires wealth is well over $500 billion

These individuals were in the right place at the right time. Sure they may have worked for it, and were savvy enough to navigate that, but in general, they hit the goddamn lottery.

And hey - they don’t need to apologize for it,

but they should sure as hell pay for it.

Not out of punishment, but out of pure fucking gratitude.

They should happily pay a wow-am-I-grateful-tax

for hitting the easiest-safest-most-comfortable-life-a-human-can-have jackpot.

I’m not mad at them for being billionaires.

I’m mad at them for their sheer gall that “they deserve it.”

I’m mad at them for spending their fortunes trying to figure out how to get to space, rather than saving the people and planet that they currently inhabit.

I’m mad at them for holding onto riches that could release *millions* - literally millions - of living, breathing people out of poverty.

I’m mad at a government that tolerates this, and therefore is complicit in the suffering of humanity.

I’m mad at a society that accepts - and often applauds - this behavior.

I’m mad that we live in an age where the distribution of this wealth would be so damn easy, yet we allow the few to hoard it.

I’m mad…

But really,

I’m sad.

I’m so fucking sad that we live in a world where we have all the resources necessary for humanity, and the natural world, to thrive

yet we collectively don’t have the desire and drive to make it happen.

(Oh, and fun fact, the people that oppose a billionaire tax are the same ones that bitch the loudest about inflation and gas prices… while it’s billionaires that are driving those things in the first place. Lolz.)

We’re better than that.

We really, truly are.

Nobody needs to be a billionaire.

Nobody.

Oh

and…

P.S. 

Does thinking and feeling like this make you feel like a shameful socialist?? *GASP*

Fuck the selfish, narcissistic, gaslighting assholes that make you feel this way.

It isn’t shameful or weird to care about creating a more just, equitable world for us to live in.

We’ve finally created legit generative AI. ChatGPT has taken the world by storm - and for good reason - it’s wild. (Give it a try if you haven’t, it’s fascinating. Or… don’t if this kind of stuff freaks you out, because it will do just that.) This is truly the beginning of a new frontier in our technological age.

Yet just the other day, we had another mass shooting here in America - a clear sign that we have a disease of the mind & soul.

So my question is…

Do we know where we’re going - where we want to go - as a species?

We’ve made leaps and bounds mentally…

but what about emotionally? Spiritually?

We’ve created a fascinating tool in AI…

yet we still go to war - attempting to solve conflict like barbarians.

We have more knowledge, and access to information than ever before…

yet we act out of alignment with what is best for ourselves, others, and Nature.

We have more technology than ever before, making us incredibly efficient…

yet our pace of living is increasingly more rushed and frantic.

What would someone from 100 years ago say about the way we’re living? Or even more interesting, 100 years into the future?

It feels like we’re Diverging from our True Nature as humans.

If Disconnecting with that is our choice, then so be it, but I think it’s important we acknowledge the cost if that’s what we choose.

If that’s not what we want, then we need to consider how to Reconnect with ourselves, others, and the Nature.

If we do ultimately choose Reconnection, it’s going to take major social and cultural shifts. And like any moment when this is occurring, there are both individual and systemic components.

Here are some that came to mind for me (albeit far from an exhaustive list.) I would love to hear from you about what you think! Feel free to leave a comment or message me with your thoughts.

Individual

* Create space in our day-to-day lives (we can’t be Connected in a constant state of motion)

* Be intentional rather than reactive (if we don’t shape our lives, the forces around us will)

* Prioritize well-being over productivity (family and health of all kinds)

* Set boundaries at work, and other areas demanding our time &energy (this can be as simple as taking a lunch break!)

* Engage with the current moment (presence is the gateway to joy & gratitude - to that which is truly real)

Systemic

* Support families with paid parental leave (this time is incredibly precious & impactful - it is more important than literally anything else in the world)

* Unlimited vacation (given more freedom…people are less likely to make excuses and abuse the freedom they’re given)

* Less work, same pay (this would give people more time to not be stressed, anxious, angry, hateful… and therefore be more positive - or at least neutral - members of society)

* Any number of things for low income families: free education, childcare, etc. (living in this way is sub-human; it is quicksand and these people deserve an opportunity to choose something else)

What do all of these have in common?

* A shift in our value system - in our way of being

* A shift in how our nervous systems are wired - we’re addicted to progress, productivity, & achievements

* A reorienting around what truly matters

In general, we need to slow. the fuck. down.

Until we can do so, the runaway train that is our way of living will keep on rolling.

Our breakneck pace is taking us somewhere…

but is it really where we want to go?

I don’t think we need to go full stop on our quest for knowledge. Our innovations are incredible and have utility in creating a just, equitable world - one that we can all enjoy.

But this quest has become neurotic; it has allowed our souls, and our Connection to our True Nature, to begin to wither.

At what point will we turn into something other than human? Will it be an obvious fork in the road? Or a continued gradual process?

Can technology and a simple, more Natural life coexist? If so, how do we reach that balance?

Will we hit a point where we get a true wake up call? What will that be? Will that wake up the whole of humanity or only a fraction? What happens then, if there are two (or more) distinct sets (factions) of humans?

Is our path inevitable? One to be endured rather than one we should attempt to change? Can we live well in either case? What does that look like?

It feels as if we’re Diverging from what it means to be human, a part of Nature, and therefore the natural order of things. 

My question is…

Is this evolution? Is this devolution?

Or is this simply us playing God?

The thing that we’ve always wanted…

…and never needed.

Sometimes I feel like a crazy person for giving a shit. About people… about the Earth… about everything really. I spend so much time and energy thinking and feeling.

Recently, I’ve found myself wondering…

What do normal people think about??

LOL.

Oh the space I would have to fill in my mind and my soul…

But then I remind mySelf…

It’s not weird to care. It’s weird to not care.

Humans are inherently empathetic and Connected to all forms of Nature (humans, plants, animals, etc.)

But us Westerners live in a society founded on Disconnection. One that is designed to cut us off from our True Nature. And it works. We’ve collectively forgotten what truly matters. We have become desensitized and indifferent. Our capitalistic ideologies engrain in us that happiness lies in things and in “being someone” - and that more of everything is always better.

These systems are designed this way - for Disconnection - because it benefits the select few at the top, while simultaneously keeping the majority treading water trying to provide for themselves and their families. Too distracted and depleted to care.

So when we do care, and we show just how much, we’re gaslit and made to feel that we’re being dramatic.

“That’s life.”

“That’s just the way things are.”

“Just be grateful - we have it so good.”

We do have it good. But it could be so much better. And we fucking know it.

So be outraged. Demand better from our systems and our society. Challenge the status quo. And don’t fucking apologize for it. Goddamn am I tired of apologizing (or feeling like I should) for feeling like things are messed up.

It’s not weird to care. It’s weird to not care.

Don’t let the world harden your soft soul. Your soul speaks Connection - the healing language the world needs. The world needs you - now more than ever before. Use your voice my dear Big Thinker & Deep Feeler. Put your energy out into the world. It makes a difference. Every day you show up as yourSelf, We all heal.

Be you.

Create & share.

Today. Tomorrow. And every day after that.

Sometimes that will be messy.

Sometimes it will be uncomfortable.

Sometimes it will feel vulnerable.

Sometimes it may even feel shameful.

Check in with yourSelf. Stay grounded… but don’t dumb yourSelf down. Turn yo’Self up! Stand up straight. Pull your shoulders back. Root into your truth. Say what you feel. Focus on those who are drawn to you, who magnify you rather than shrink you. Your voice matters. You matter. Breathe that in. Let that be the wind in your sails.

It’s not weird to care. It’s weird to not care.

You might be misunderstood. Feeling like nobody gets it - gets you - is a lonely place. But being misunderstood (which you absolutely will be by some, so might as well get it over with) is a side effect of being bold enough to stand out from the crowd. To not go along with things just because everyone else is. Your voice will resonate with some. And while it may be the minority, it is those who truly matter. That Connection will pay dividends. For you, for them, and for the world.

It takes courage to care.

So. Much. Courage.

You may be “sensitive,” but you are so strong.

Find your strength Big Thinker Deep Feeler.

It’s your time.

And whatever you do…

Don’t ever stop caring.

Thanks for reading Big Thinker Deep Feeler! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

In this recording I share:

* nut shell version of my journey of "finding myself / finding my purpose" (2:55)

* a wild, emotional story about connecting with my unborn child (!?) (09:19)

* realizing the unmatched powerful opportunity of being a parent (16:04)

* the secret to being the best parent for your child (19:37)

* how parents can deepen their sense of purpose & drive to make a difference (25:03)

Big Thinker Deep Feeler explores how we can (Re)Connect with our True Nature to:

* find ourSelves

* accept, love, & collaborate with others

* commune with & protect nature

* and save the planet

Big Thinker Deep Feeler is a community of purpose-driven individuals who give a shit.

They deeply desire to share their unique voice & gifts in order to make the world a better place for themselves, nature, and future generations.

Big Thinker Deep Feeler is a safe space for each of us to discover our place in the bigger picture and navigate this wild, messy, beautiful experience of being human.

So if you care about making a difference…

For yourSelf, your family, your community, and for the world…

I’d love to have you join me on this Adventure.

Just hit follow or subscribe!

And because we need all the good people we can get…

See if you can think of one person that comes to mind that might enjoy this space as well - get ‘em in here!

Please feel free to connect or reach out at any time by email ([email protected]) or on IG @benjamin.m.fritz / Twitter @benjaminmfritz Connecting with you is what brings me joy!

The solution, the medicine, the answer…

is available - forever & always.

This is my message of hope & optimism.

We have what it takes to move toward a more just, equitable world.

We just need to be intentional about it.