Hope For Humanity

I find it necessary to address my behavior and perspective of not only the last few months, but also from the point I dropped out of the university a few years ago. Behaving in reaction to a series of stressful life events that seemed unrelenting at the time, it seemed necessary to drop off the face of the planet and deny myself the ability to contribute to human society at all – thereby also denying myself the ability to thrive in pursuing my passions. The victim mentality had set in and I was okay with digressing further. Really, the only thing that snapped me out of it was a strong personal support system and the recognition that my behavior literally affects others in my proximity. Please allow me to explain why my hope for the human species remains.

Originally set up for success, I left high school with a full ride to college and the path to a musical career all but set in stone. Though deep down, unbeknownst to most of my colleagues, I had deep-seeded fears and residual anxiety from my high school experiences. What allowed me to maintain face was I would bury myself in both school and work, and my motivation was in knowing that I could binge drink and continue the distraction on the weekend. My obsession with a stronger high progressed into a pursuance of psychedelics, which originally I saw as an escape to my problems. Now that I’m coming out of it, I see it more for what it was – the ability to numb myself enough to external stimuli so that I could explore the deep recesses of my mind and finally process some of the traumatic experiences of my teenage years.

Experiencing far more than any young person should, my faith in humanity was temporarily deferred. Being fortunate enough to know a middle class childhood, I readily admit my perspective was naïve – perhaps not quite prepared to withstand some of the pressures of adult life. The darker side of the human psyche was fresh in my mind, and it was certainly addictive – the self-loathing, the escapist fantasies, and instant gratification. So I gave in for a long while, not realizing that I did need time to process my emotions. Human experience contains more than rational thoughts; subjective and conscious perspectives imply emotional awareness. It was far easier to blame others though, than to accept responsibility for my own misconceptions.

Some say that rock bottom is the best place to build a solid foundation. I agree that it is disconcerting when one is unaware of where one lies in relation to the foundation, and it pleases me to know I found the bottom. Confidence no longer eludes me, and fear reduced itself to a healthy sense of analytical precaution. Gratitude found its way back to my perspective, because I recognize that others know a deeper sense of struggle than even I do. I cannot complain with any sense of validity any longer. Knowing better the challenges that so many of us face, I am equipped with a much stronger sense of social justice than before. Though my tolerance for excuses is at an all-time low, my sense of opportunity hope is at an all-time high.

Henceforth, I return to pursuing excellence. Evidently, our decisions are not just our own – as one choice can extend in effect to as great as six degrees of separation. When one makes the decision to overconsume, to self-destruct, or to completely disregard the needs of others, in fact it allows those we encounter to be comfortable in accepting their own complacency and self-delusion. Ergo, Jon Mychal chooses to pursue his passions, and to do so with the greatest degree of proficiency, quality and efficacy possible. The time passed long ago to remain depressed about past choices, as those are simply learning experiences. There is no point in being anxious about future theoretical scenarios, as somehow we have made it this far without complete, mutual annihilation. And while many exciting and difficult challenges lie ahead, I appreciate the present now for exactly what it is – a gift. This I can positively assert: there is still hope for humanity.