I want to begin this discussion about consciousness with some gratitude and context. This is a spiritual teaching as reluctant as I am to say so. I’m a millennial and grew up in the very scientific and analytical culture that is public school. And for those that know what public school is like - well - you also know that spirituality doesn’t exist there. We have separation of church and state. Separation of science and spirituality. There is religion and idiocy and then there is science and truth. There is no mixing the two or you’re going to receive crazy eyes. And because of this, broaching the subject of spirituality (which is something entirely different) can also be met with crazy eyes and why I have some reluctance using the word. Because of this cultural phenomenon, I want to be clear: this is purely a self-reflection exercise. Any wisdom you discover here is purely for yourself. And to be truly honest, if I lived a hundred years ago I’d probably write nothing, remain quiet and live blissfully in the mountains far away from civilization but I feel like we might be reaching a tipping point. A tipping point where enough of us will be able to actually understand what it means to be conscious and make life into a party. Because who doesn’t like to party? I’m a millennial, I’d rather party.

 

That idea might confuse you or make you pull your hair out. Especially if your image of spirituality is connected with hippies who just lay around committed to protesting neoliberal economics by being bums. Have no fear, what I have to say has nothing to do with wallowing in self pity. What I mean by party is also a lot different than the self destructive drink/smoke/snort until I don’t exist college experience. It doesn’t have anything to do with crystals, vortexes, angels, demons, or woo woo energy either. Spirituality at it’s core is about being yourself. Becoming your best self, more like;  and doing so by understanding that we all have an internal experience full of valuable tools.

 

Have you ever been to a party where everyone feels comfortable being their complete selves? Where nobody is self conscious about how they look or how they should act? Where everyone stands tall and loves each other for who they are? Regardless, if they are gay, straight, black, white, or purple? Have you? Sounds nice doesn’t it. When life is like that, it can’t help but become a party.

 

I want to take this another step further because the party I’m talking about also has to do with contribution. I like a party where everyone contributes. Life requires maintenance (work) and so do parties. When it’s time to eat, the people who enjoy cooking the most - cook. When it’s time for dessert the people who enjoy making pie the most serve it because they made it. When it’s time to clean up the people who haven’t done anything else - clean up. And at the end of the night when there are too many people for the amount of beds in the house we share, we connect. There is no fussing, nobody feels like they got left doing more than anyone else, nobody feels left out. Everyone is heard and everyone enjoys every minute of the mutual process of being alive. Everyone is equal and everyone takes pride in their environment. Everyone serves.

 

I imagine a world where we take that idea to scale, sustainably. But before that idea can even be contemplated at scale there are steps and the first step is for all of us to become comfortable in our own skins. Until we can accept ourselves for who we are than we will never accept the person who reminds us of our flaws. Because the racist who wants to remind the colored man that he is worthless is the one who is actually worthless. Because hate has never built anything. Hate tears apart and the human that hates - who tears apart - is himself broken. This we can agree on. The tougher question is, if the racist is worthless what can we make of the human who despises the racist? Until we understand how to take responsibility for our suffering and find our internal worth than we’ll never imagine the party I’m talking about at scale.

 

It doesn’t matter if you are angry about racism, politics, terrorism, your shitty job, your asshole friend or family member. It doesn’t matter if you are angry about environmental degradation, poverty, sexual assault, women's rights, debt, corporate