Labels are not the Answer — Love is.
Supporting the Evolution of the Human Race
All around me, people seem to be sad and suffering. Everyone is living through their version of sadness looking for a fix. But, I find that many are making a common mistake. They are looking externally instead of looking within. They seem to be seeking out a label for their experience… because labeling something provides a set of rules associated with that label — steps to be followed. And if you follow those rules, you find the “fix”.
For example, Depression and/or Anxiety = medication. Various neurodivergent diagnoses, such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum and Sensory Processing Disorder = specialized therapies, sometimes combined with medications.
We think that applying these labels to ourselves, or better yet, having an “expert” diagnose us with these labels, will put us on a path to the solution… how to “fix” ourselves or become more “normal”. Don’t get me wrong, these fixes do somewhat work. However, they are not permanent. Without the medications or therapies we know we need once we are labeled, we sink right back into our perceived problems. The solutions are not permanent because they do not address the core of it… what’s going on in our inner worlds.
What if there were no labels? What if you were just you, I was just me and our kids were just themselves? Why do we feel the need to put a label on everything?
As written by Rick Rubin, in his book, “The Creative Act: A Way of Being”:
“Rules, by their nature, are limitations.” … “As soon as you use a label to describe what you’re working on, there’s a temptation to conform to its rules.”
The context of Rubin’s words in his book specifically refer to the artists’ work and the labels of medium, genre, etc. and how these labels, and their associated rules, stifle creative freedom and expression. However, I feel that his words about labels can be applied to almost any aspect of the human experience. When we are given or give ourselves a label, we tend to conform, whether consciously or not, to the rules of that label.
If the labels and their rules faded away, I believe the world would be much more beautiful. For instance, why is Autism Spectrum Disorder labeled as a “disorder”? A disorder indicates something other than what is considered “normal”. It’s 2024… Haven’t we realized that there is no “normal”? Normalcy seems to be what many people strive to achieve, but why? If everyone and everything were the same, what an incredibly dull world it would be. Is that really what we’re striving for?
Some of my favorite people in this world are on the Autism Spectrum. They are incredibly beautiful souls. They perceive and respond to the world differently. Why should this be labeled as a “disorder” instead of simply being honored as a beautiful gift?
We are living in a time when more and more people are being diagnosed/labeled as having “disorders” than ever before. Could these “disorders” actually be the human species evolving… to be more perceptive and sensitive? Could it be the human response to the change that needs to take place in the world for it to continue to survive? Are souls being born into this world with these evolutionary qualities so that the change we so need can take place? My answer is, “YES”.
It pains me to see people who have been labeled get down on themselves because of that label, constantly trying to achieve “normalcy”. This is such a tragedy, as there is nothing “wrong”, and certainly, nothing to call a “disorder”. These are gifts that should be celebrated and embraced by all humanity, for these are changes that need to take place within the human race for us to continue to survive on planet Earth.
These sensitive, perceptive souls should feel and know that they are undoubtedly supported and celebrated. They are here to teach us all how to grow. We need to learn how to listen with our hearts and see with our minds, blurring the lines between the senses and their associated parts. It is an entirely new way of being. New = change, and change = scary. We tend to go into protective mode to hide from or push down new and scary things. However, new and scary is the only way humans have evolved throughout the history of time.
Now is the time to be brave. It is time to embrace the change that is being gifted to us for our own survival. Unconditional love, acceptance, truth, and support is what will keep us and planet Earth alive.
Thank you for reading.
