When I was in my rebellious, save the world AmeriCorps days, I drove a gas-guzzling hand-me-down Crown Victoria (I was at least the 4th person in our family to own it). Because this car did not reflect me, as I saw me, I covered the back end in bumper stickers. What can I say, my rebellious streak wasn’t very strong. One of those bumper stickers read, “God bless the whole world, no exceptions.” The reason I specifically remember this one is because my dad commented on it once saying something along the lines of, “I never thought of it like that.” (No coming at my dad, I loved that he was open to the bumper sticker’s message.) But that message, and the idea that it might be a new approach for some, has stuck with me for well over 20 years.
If you’ve been on this journey with me over the last year, you might have picked up on the fact that I rarely listen to song lyrics, even though I find music essential to my existence. With that in mind, I hope you will indulge me as I probably wildly misinterpret two songs that have been playing in my head over the last month, as the world continues to spin out of control. These two songs, both titled “Human”, by Brandi Carlile and Rag’n’Bone Man, keep reminding me of our responsibilities as humans. These responsibilities are both to ourselves and to others, they take grace and courage, and they can be painfully complicated.
I don’t want to dissect each song, but I do want to share a few key lyrics. In Brandi’s song, she brilliantly belts out, “Cut yourself a little more slack…they don’t give out awards for that” and, “We don’t need to know right now, it’s hard enough being human” before finishing with, “Be human…feel….” Rag’n’Bone Man’s version has a very different tone (that is wonderfully danceable) and reminds us, “I’m only human after all / you’re only human after all” and, “I make mistakes…I do what I can.” Both sets of lyrics remind us to check-in and ask ourselves, what does it mean to be human – to ourselves, and to others?
Allowing Ourselves to be Human
There is so much going on in today’s world, it can easily feel overwhelming. I have felt pulled in too many directions as I try to learn and be active in the different causes (although, I would argue that the causes are all one cause – the human cause). I have felt annoyance and frustration that any of this is needed at all and I have felt anger that more isn’t being done by people in power. But, when I bring this down to myself, and how it is impacting me as a human, I often feel shame for not doing enough. One of the greatest lessons I continue to learn is to listen to myself. To ask my mind, body, and spirit what they need. I’ve gotten frustrated with myself lately when I hear those pieces of me say that what I need is rest or to unplug. How can I possibly unplug or rest when there is so much to be done in this world? And yet, how can I do anything without truly resting and listening to myself?
Brandi’s reminder to cut myself some slack is what we all need to remember. We are only human, we can only do so much. It’s a lot – we can do so much – but, we also have to remember that sometimes it’s hard enough being humans. These days, I need to remind myself, As Rag’n’Bone Man soulfully tells us, “I make mistakes…I do what I can.” The permission that we need to give ourselves to do the best we can at this moment – whatever that moment is – is all we can ask of ourselves. That permission alone is a huge win and should not be overlooked.
Being human means that we make mistakes, that we try again, that we hurt people – intentionally or unintentionally – that we ask for forgiveness, that we struggle, that we love and find joy, that we celebrate and grieve, that we get to experience the full expression of emotions and that we get to be our unique selves in a world that doesn’t always honor uniqueness. As Brandi reminds us, they don’t give out awards for being human (insert Nobel Peace Prize joke here…), because the award is the lessons learned, the growth achieved, the people that we meet, and the differences made in us and by us. Being human is complicatedly beautiful and when we shame ourselves and our emotions, or don’t listen to our inner wisdom, we are limiting that beauty and not allowing ourselves to truly be human, and feel.
Humanity for All of Us
Friend, if you’re still reading, thank you. I had a different second half of this article written prior to January 24, 2026. I wrote about how, even when it is difficult, we must look for the humanity in others, especially in those with views that do not align with our values. And, while I do still believe that, I couldn’t put that out in the world right now – it felt sugary and inauthentic. And so, on the morning of January 25, after viewing the news non-stop the day before, I sat quietly in my front room, in my safe cocoon of peaceful snowfall and never ending tea, and thought about “external humanity”, as authentically as I could. In thinking about it authentically, I knew that that was actually what I needed to write about. What the world needs now, and has always needed, is authenticity. Knowing and being connected to who we truly are is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves, and to the world. This isn’t easy, a box of chocolates would be much easier, but it is essential.
Being our authentic selves means knowing deeply what matters to us. It means knowing what is important to us regardless of the noise around us. It means staking our claim and not backing down from anyone who tells us that what we value is not important. Why is this the greatest gift we can give? Because we matter – all of us, no exceptions – and we have more in common than the noise will have us believe. But also because, when we go out in the world with openness, vulnerability, and authenticity, we are welcoming people in to know us. We are putting aside our defenses and giving space for others to do the same. How connected we would all be if we shared our deepest dreams and fears with one another? Now, in this thing called life, we only get to be responsible for ourselves, our actions, and our responses – no one else’s, and, it’s important to know when someone else is not safe for us to be our authentic selves. But, what I’ve learned and seen with clients is that we most often don’t show our authentic selves even in safe spaces and with safe people, because we are so afraid of what the world will think of us.
If you are still reading this, chances are that you are connected to your values and that you care deeply about the world around you. How could the world change for us as individuals and the world if we shared our values and concerns with everyone we come in contact with, not just our innermost circle? How might the world change if we showed up without fear and without stepping down?
The world needs you – your magical, perfectly imperfect self – right now – the fullest version of you – warts and beauty marks, joy and pain, triumphs and failures. That’s what’s going to change the world.
Journal Prompts
What’s a symbol of my perfectly imperfect self?
How do I listen to myself and allow myself to be truly human?
How do I allow others to be truly human?
