On Being Different Featuring Meiko Seymour

Show Notes

We live in a society that no longer appreciates conversation.

Conversation has just gotten lost in this broadcast type society.

I want to try to get out of the muck and mire of peoples opinions of whats going on and elevate those types of conversations into what we can do to better ourselves, one another, our communities, relationships with one another and elevate the conversation.

We may be sitting in our little silo'd areas thinking the same thoughts as one another and not even knowing it. Or feeling the same feelings as one another and not even knowing it.

The Altitude Collective serves as a place where you're not by yourself. There are other people having these same thoughts; same feelings Let’s elevate the conversation so that we can see each other on a human spiritual level and let’s see what we can do now that we're there.

For me, being different is stepping into what is uniquely you and that's really hard to do.

I am someone who is actively pursuing my uniqueness.

I view the world as it can be, not as it is right now. Because I view my world as it can be, the conversations I engage people in, is not just about right now, I want to make sure that conversation is moving us, moving you, into the future.

90% of the time, for me, feels wrong. Like 90% I feel like being different is wrong, and then that 10% kind of comes when I lay down and put my head on the pillow and I'm about to go to sleep and I'm just like "No, no, you're fine!"

At some point I am going to have to value what I give to people and I am going to have to put a cost to that.... But that's a different way of thinking.

On defining moments:

-I think that (growing up with a father loosely around) has bolstered me or it has cost me things.

-I understand what it means to want something really, really badly, coming so close to having it, and then the loss of it. That causes me to be more compassionate.

I think in society we dismiss people's wants and their needs so easily.

With these experiences I am able to be soft, I am able to take time with people regarding what they want.

Jesus really frames everything for me.

Masking is this idea that we are putting something else on other than our true unique self.

The struggle is when we're talking about being different, the struggle is I want to be uniquely me in every context. I am not sure that unique Meiko will be accepted at all times even in what should be safe spaces. So when I don't feel like I will be accepted, or safe I'll put on a mask.

There are a lot of men who wrestle with being brave in conversations.

Men are not bad at conversation, they are actually really, really good at talking because they are trying to hide the things that actually bother them. So guys do talk but a lot of the talk is to mask.

I do struggle with that but my aim is to be uniquely me in every situation I'm in.

Just live your life in every single environment, in every context, as much as you can. That doesn't mean that your going to be accepted every single time

I have given, (and daily have to give myself) permission to live my life.

We've got to make the decisions for our lives.

For people it really comes down to just being open. Always creating a space for people to be living their best life. Always creating a space for people to make mistakes...

We need to be open to creating safe places, or safe environments, or safe hearts to let other people live out whats within them.

Age has given me more permission to be uniquely me.

I've learned to trust myself more with those decisions.

On championing others:

-I'm of the belief that each one of us is unique and possesses a unique light. So I just love seeing people achieve the things that they want to achieve.

-I believe that we need to be more involved in peoples lives.

-We need to be celebrating the things that people are achieving, or we need to be locking arms with people as they are in the trenches trying to achieve things.

The human spirit desires to be connected with other people, affirmed, and celebrated and loved.

It's brave to step into someone else's world and motivate them forward.

We are all connected in this great circle of life.

If you are affirming or loving people based on how you want to be loved/affirmed you are actually missing the mark.

We've got to be really careful when we're loving people, affirming people, that we're doing so in their language. Otherwise its just noise.

It takes time to learn another persons love language. If that person is important to you, you will do it.

If your not willing to find out here's the hard truth: You actually don't care about that person.

Relationships regardless of what kind just take work. The world will be a better place when we take the time to step into one another's lives and learn from one another.

The gold in being different is when you can go to bed at night with no regrets.

You can find Meiko all over social media by using his handle, meikoseymour.

Additionally, check out his website that is full of blogs and links to his two eBooks here.