THE HUMANIZING PROJECT
OCTOBER 27, 2017 | FROM THE DESK OF MADELINE FUHRMAN
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THIS IS MY OPEN LETTER TO THE WORLD:
Since I can remember I’ve been imagining and designing the world I want to live in. Determined is an understatement. From the age of 4 I announced to everyone I met that I was going to be the First Female President (sorry, Hilary). I would wear a suit and take a briefcase-binder to school; I even went so far as to openly correct adults when they were wrong in explaining theories to their kids at the children’s museum. They would then ask me “Who do you think you are, little girl?” And I’d just tell them, with my hands on my hips that “I am going to be the First Female President” and they would look at that fearless little girl and just have to agree. All they’d manage to spit out would be “Well you have my vote.” Needless to say, I’ve always beaten to my own drum; I make my own schedule and every day use my imagination to challenge how I live my life - all in hopes of creating a reality for myself that makes me feel happy and fulfilled. I’ve aways had that going for me, I guess... I am so myself and had set out to establish her so fearlessly five years ago that I realized very harshly that the world we live in has nothing to do with empowering us to be ourselves or our best. That no good deed truly goes unpunished. That no matter how well-intentioned you may be, someone, somewhere will find a way to take your toe-the-line statement too far or too personally. Moreover, our world is more focused on what we’re selling and it’s giving consumerism and corporations a bad rap - the two institutions that basically established this country as a force to be reckoned with. We’re watching people revert to locally-sourced everything and it’s beginning to show major companies that the game has changed, and we are in a brave new world, floating in this space where demographics are dissolving while we’re leaning towards focusing on human emotions - finally! But business are having trouble with the identity of their campaigns, at the same time people everywhere are complaining, all day about their passion to stand up and be the change - but that really just means tweeting about it or posting the running meme of the day. It’s about time we start to recognize this lack of consciousness. On one side we’re blaming Trump; at the same time we’re finally starting to blame ourselves for not being more aware of the current state of the union. For not being brave enough to acknowledge how social media, a tool created to connect and empower communities, has really just raised its angry voice. It’s become this petulant child, hating on what it doesn’t understand and acting out of fear for the unknown; it’s spreading hate not love. We’ve actually managed to create a whole new form of bullying complete strangers! How sick is that? We don’t even know these people that we’re so quick to judge, and what we think we know isn’t always true. I find it quite trivial that we’re still questioning how Trump was elected, instead of taking the action necessary to take our power back. Now that we’re aware of the harsh reality we face we have to accept it. We have to learn from our choices and history so that it does not risk repeating itself. The online world Is no different than the beginning of a new civilization. It isn’t particularly safe, it’s wild and has no structure, no real governance, no limits. It’s powerful beyond belief and yet we’re only beginning to unearth its capacities. Yet we continue to be using it in so many new ways that we’ve forgotten the internet is a tool that needs to be used for what it was intended: connection! Hello!
See, that’s not what is happening. I’m looking around today witnessing beautiful moments of unification across the world, and I know that we are finally shifting; at the same time there’s a wave of jealousy, fear, and pure hate being driven towards what we’ve defined as “The 1%” - who are actually also divided between the ones funding politicians for privatized interests and the others who vocally desired social change that they just can't manage to pass. The same “1%” who, if you think about it, are actually the only ones capable of the power and resources needed to fix our current state of emergency, and it sure feels like that, doesn’t it? We’re in an emergency, which is why I couldn’t wait one more second on this. PEOPLE! You are trying to motivate the people capable of effecting this change with fear, not love! You are threatening everything they’ve ever worked for, for what? The pleasure of seeing their demise? What exactly will that give you? Please. I dare you to tell me because if I know anything about success and hard work it’s that once you’ve tasted it, you know it’s real and possible and all you have to do it apply yourself to make it happen. So I dare you...please try to tear them down, you’ll only be contributing to the current landscape that you are so desperately trying to change. According to recent studies, we have actually managed to devolve as a human race because of our human superiority complex. Did you also know that now loneliness is a diagnosed condition?! Don’t we remember how we created this world? Yeah, the one built on community, love and hard work? I’ll tell you what, speaking from the perspective of what I would consider to be an alien millennial who works as hard as 10 over-achieving people combined, I definitely don’t want to live in a world where my hard work is scrutinized. You know what? I don’t even want to contribute to a world where I have to live in fear of success because of this new wave of uneducated self-righteousness and entitlement that clearly doesn’t understand the repercussions of communism or a socialist economy. But I don’t blame them! They didn’t grow up with a mother who escaped the Soviet Union at 20 years old after the fall of the Berlin Wall, seeking a life of truth and opportunity for her children. The lack of awareness and understanding we have as a people for the history of the world is appalling. Tell me, does the free world feel so free anymore? Has it truly ever been? Or has it really just been a grand illusion?
Well, I’ve had enough of this! I am so sick of the world we’re living in and in people not realizing the power of the tools literally at their fingertips that I’ve decided to stand tall and be the change. I’ve learned the importance of setting an example, of establishing my voice, and of forgiving people who have let me down. I decided it was time to practice what I preach, and then take it one step further and create the world I have spent my life building around myself for everyone else to take part in. It’s a world in which I have felt comfortable and empowered to be myself: guided by knowledge, informed by experience and inspired by love. I’ve looked to the history of the world, indulged in cultures that thrived during enlightenment and drowned in the sea of complaints and hate plaguing social media that has led us to today... to a millennium lost in thought, completely confused as to what the future holds while we spend all day with the power to make it happen in our hands. Why are you stuck complaining that it’s a horrible world out there but doing virtually nothing about it? STAND TALL. You’re putting this on the internet for every one to read, so please educate yourself! Knowledge is Power! What I’ve learned in my 24 years of life is that the future is now, people, and it’s only as much and as great as we choose to make it. We are human, and we are powerful and we are capable and we are limitless - there is no way to define our constant growth and evolution if we don’t allow it. My world is a world powered and empowered by the people. It’s a world that challenges the way we all look at money - and how we have begun to believe, more than ever, that it is the root of all evil. Well if that’s true then what do we have if no money? I believe we have humanity! We have each other, our voices, our stories, and most importantly our love. In my world, that is all you need to keep going.
Introducing The Humanizing Project. It’s one step closer to the world you want to see, in the palm of your hands - well really it’s at your fingertips right now but give us a little time, we’re growing as fast as you allow! Imagine a Virtue[all] Reality that’s accessible to you whenever and wherever you need it. Every day in Empactico we work towards fostering a locally-sourced global consciousness, connected by the powers of love, art, and humanity. Through the eyes of The Humanizing Project there is no race but the Human Race, there are no demographics or gender, and the power is literally in your hands. We empower people to believe in their power, and then put it to the test in a formula where work in is equal to work out. Authenticity, story-telling and community contribute to our model for mutual prosperity because NOW there is a way we can empower each other to be that change we keep talking about.
So yeah, here I go. I guess it’s just my destiny to be the first Female President - but not of the United States, of my own reality that I’m creating with The Humanizing Project, the bridge to the what will eventually be "Empactico" - the first online civilization of its kind that directly affects the real life you live and breathe every day. A safe space to try, and to fail and to succeed. It’s vitru[all]y reality and absolutely anything you make of it. So screw those guys saying we won’t have our own houses because we’re “entitled” to ordering avocado toast and matcha lattes - we learned from that same generation that we need to enjoy the little things before it’s too late and that there needs to be an alternative way to honor our parents other than by following in their footsteps.
Ask yourself...do you love where we are now as a society, as the human race? Do you think you could do more? I think I’m speaking for all millennials when I say we want to do more because we’re grateful to be living our best lives! (Avocado Toast!) We’re grateful for everything we’ve been exposed to and especially to our parents for still being there for us no matter how much it feels like they just don’t get it. But we kinda haven’t been getting it either because we just can’t find a place to start...for anything.
I invite you to start here and now and to join me online in the only virtual space truly capable of affecting your reality. We’re only at the beginnings of this online civilization, but we’re growing quickly all because you keep asking for this place to exist. Actually, I thought it was too important for me to not officially launch the beta today just so we can begin to focus all of this energy in the right place. A place focused on peace, and it’s my dream that empactico will infiltrate the real world positively and create the opening we need for world peace that I believe is possible If we come together and focus on what’s gotten us this far: humanity.
I believe that we will be great, but it will only be because we choose to embrace it within ourselves, not in any leader, anywhere. Not even me. I am asking you to join me and be the change that you wish to see.
Always,
Sincerely,
Love,
Madeline