So many of accepted practices around how to be Human have been about taming our Animal ways – especially in the United States.
Some even go so far as to deny that the Animal within us is real.
Practices that preach suppressing emotions, acting in a “civilized” manner, conforming to a socially appropriate norm, staying quiet, avoiding conflict, adhering to etiquette that all seeks to control the animalistic parts of ourselves.
The Animal within you that wants to survive, the Animal within you that wants to thrive.
This Animal needs to be fed healthy food, cared for, appreciated, nurtured and loved.
Thing is – that Animal within you is annoying to anyone who wants to use you.
At work, it’s annoying to have a worker need anything other than a paycheck.
That is why society glorifies the worker who never needs a sick day, who works through lunch, who doesn’t have a family or hobbies or a life so that the worker can focus solely on serving the company’s bottom line.
But that Animal part of you doesn’t go away.
We are inherently Animals at our core.
To be Human is to be an Animal. The Animal within you never left.
In banishing the Animal within us, we’ve become more robotic. More predictable, calmer, steadier. We are willing to martyr ourselves for the almighty dollar.
While this benefits society in many ways, it doesn’t directly benefit us as much.
Sure we get money, but at what cost?
We give up our health, we give up spending time with our loved ones, nurturing our relationships, investing in our communities and often we have to pay our own money for the privilege of keeping our job (commute costs, wardrobe, work lunches, happy hours).
In making society more civilized, in making each one of us conform to a held belief of what is “normal”, we have to cut off a connection to ourselves.
We have to separate from our spark, our creativity and our soul. Because those things reside within our Animal. They are core to who we are.
COVID and the fight for survival reconnected us to the Animal within.
We met:
The Animal within us who values its wellbeing more than the expectations of others.
The Animal within us who wants connection and relationships more than control.
And the Animal within us who is no longer is satisfied being thrown a bone once and a while after experiencing a life full of attention and care.
COVID has been many things but one of the most significant things it has done is to put our Animal front and center.
As Humans we are not immune to our circumstances.
We are not robots.
I fundamentally believe it’s time for a period of Enlightenment for the U.S. workforce.
A time to leave behind the structures of the Industrial Era and reimagine a workforce that is designed for creativity and innovation.
A time to reconnect with what it means to be Human and to work.
To embrace the Animal within us and honor all of its needs and appreciate its tremendous amount of power and creativity.
Work has never been separate from what it means to be Human but yet for decades, humanity has been stripped from work.
It is time to create a work environment where both workers and corporations can thrive together. Where corporations can serve their customers and employees have respect.
**We no longer live in the land of OR (you can have money or a life) – we are living in the time of AND (you can have money and a life).**
How have you reconnected with the Animal within you since COVID?
Message me and let me know how you’ve met your needs and advocated for yourself at work, at home, or at the doctor’s office.
