Being Human

It's that time of year when expectations and obligations are keeping us busy or may seem to go unfulfilled. It can be hard to get everything done, and easy to feel outside the loop of the holiday season. It's a good time to remind ourselves that we're human, being careful to remember that being human isn't about our shortcomings but our gifts.  

If you have never struggled with your humanness, it may seem this subject isn't for you but it might help to understand and relate with those who have. They may be your partner, coworker, sibling, friend, and the one thing they all have in common with you is that they are human. How humanity plays out through each person is varied by that personality and it is through this variance that we have so many conclusions about what being human is.  

One of the most popular views of being human is that it can be improved upon. To do this some engage religious practices such as confession and penance, others reach for new age concepts that we are not human but spiritual brings having a human experience. Either way, there is the underlying principle that just being human is somewhat less than what we could be. Both approaches to being human achieve the same result: people spend a lot of time trying to attain something they do not yet possess or at the very least trying to not mess up.

The beauty of being human is the sheer messiness of it. When our humanness is accepted no, embraced and celebrated with conscious awareness, we achieve what nothing else in the world can give us: the freedom to simply be. There's no need to postpone our joy. We see how the belief that things aren't good enough produce the appearance of loss, lack, and limitation not the other way around, and there's no need to waste time wishing we and others had what it takes to be free. 

There's no magic mojo or spiritual awakening that can free one more than realizing we are not bound, there's nothing wrong with you or anyone else. When it comes to being human making mistakes, not knowing, and getting caught up in the moment is absolutely perfect. To be consciously aware of our humanness and also aware of the human nature of everyone is to be free. We can accept everything just as it is without making it about what isn't. This makes it much easier to be kind and understanding and supportive because when we're not, it is not a bad reflection on us, it's simply being perfectly human. And when someone treats us poorly we don't have to take it personally because that person is just being human too. 

This holiday season and throughout the year, expect nothing more or less of yourself than to be perfectly human and be glad for all that you are as you also admire the humanity in everyone.