Hold Your Value
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“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right.”
-Henry Ford
But, there’s a balance. We need to surf that fine line between genius and delusion. Seth Godin says that we are all imposters. Perhaps, that is a bit cynical. I would say that we all experience moments as imposters, but at some point, we just need to embrace the fact that in some (most?) areas, we are morons. Imposter syndrome solved.
Value is not just about money, though getting paid for your work is important. Ultimately, it is an internal struggle. It’s about feeling deserving from within, so that one can recognize behavior that is driven by a hungry need of validation that comes from a place of… unwholeness.
In the days after Tony Hsieh’s death, Forbes has released the cover story, Tony Hsieh’s American Tragedy. Hsieh was a tech rock star, a multimillionaire entrepreneur, hanging out at Necker Island, buying real estate, setting up communities, partying at festivals, giving talks about happiness, living the dream. Jewel was a close friend. He was an external image of “success.”
As the details of his death emerge, there are stories floating around about his partying, alcohol and drug use. In many of the “futurist” communities: cryptocurrency, biohacking, Burning Man, Silicon Valley and beyond, there is often heavy use of mind altering substances. Ketamine nasal sprays, whippets, DMT vape pens, Juul pens, PAX vapes, nicotine salt vapes, THC, CBD, CBN, microdosing - entire communities of people suckling on their binkies.
“Where is everyone?” -me
“On the balcony with their binkies.” -HR Director
Psychedelics and plant medicines are not inherently good or bad, healing or sorcery. However, the casual use of psychedelics can certainly be dangerous. Psychedelics can push our human wetware past the limits of its ability to process reality. Set, setting, and dosage are incredibly important. That’s why they are so powerful for changing our internal realities and finding wholeness.
Consciousness is sacred. There is nothing casual about it.
Tony Hsieh’s tragic death brings up lots of issues for me. Growing up Asian American in our generation has its own flavor of trauma. Asian men are raised to not express emotion, to use pain (吃苦) as motivation. According to the data, we are, alongside our Black sisters, the least desirable as romantic partners. We grew up with small dick jokes, racial stereotypes in Hollywood like Long Duk Dong, and plenty of racist bullying.
But, we are taught to be quiet, humble, don’t cause trouble and just work hard, things will work out. Until they don’t.
Asian men aren’t the only ones suffering. Everyone has their struggles. But the only way out is to take responsibility for our own consciousness. A friend once said, “I only use drugs to improve myself.” Another friend once said, “Human beings are bottomless pits of desire.”
We are hungry ghosts, until we can heal our way out. As we move into this new phase of consciousness, this is an important conversation. All mind altering substances and practices have risk of dependency or harm. There is plenty of shadow in the “conscious communities.”
How can we steward the responsible and sacred use of Medicine?
This is the conversation.
Day 5: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies #GivingChristmas