Who Do You Want to Be?

A Birthday Reflection on Soul, Screens, and the Sound of Trees

So today I celebrate another milestone birthday. Another trip around the sun. Another 600 million miles traveled through the universe.

It’s a humbling thought, that even as we sit still, we are hurtling through space at speeds we can barely fathom. And while I’ve been orbiting with the rest of you, I’ve been watching. Sometimes with joy. Sometimes with dismay. Always with curiosity. The world, and the way it turns.

There’s a battle underway. Not just for elections or economics. But for something quieter and deeper. There’s a battle for our collective soul. For who we are becoming as human beings, as nation-states, as a global civilization.

From the visible horrors of war and disinformation, to the quieter violence of burnout, cynicism, and disconnection. From acts of civil disobedience in the streets, to the things we’ll never see, because they don’t fit the algorithms that govern our feeds.

We are, in so many ways, spiritually malnourished.

And as I mark another year on this strange and beautiful planet, I find myself craving something more ancient than productivity hacks or perfect personal brands. I find myself raising a toast to:

• Birdsong at dawn

• Flowers blooming without witness

• The sound of water running over stone

• Ocean breezes that carry no agenda

• The wind in the trees, whispering stories older than language

These are spiritual experiences, though they don't call themselves that. They remind us that we belong. They remind us to pay attention. They remind us that stillness is not stagnation — it is soul work.

The Real Upgrade Isn’t Digital

As Jungle Jake put it so clearly:

"Keeping spirituality out of professional spaces is stalling our evolution."

That line hit me. Because I see it too, the pressure to keep our deepest questions separate from our job titles. To never talk about wonder, or awe, or grief, or transcendence unless we’re “off the clock.”

But here’s the truth: The challenges we face aren’t just technological. They are existential. They are questions of who we want to be, as teams, as leaders, as communities, as a species.

We can't automate our way to wisdom. We can't optimize our way to purpose. We can only choose. Together. And we can only begin by pausing long enough to ask the real question.

... Who Do You Want to Be?

How far are you looking? What do you see?

Not what do you want to do. Not how do you want to perform.

Instead:

• What kind of leader?

• What kind of friend?

• What kind of ancestor?

• What kind of soul?

This year, I’m not asking for answers. I’m asking for a pause.

A deep breath.

A walk outside.

Maybe even a moment with a tree that doesn’t care what your LinkedIn headline says.

Because flourishing doesn’t happen in a rush. It happens in relationship, with self, with others, with the world around us.

So here’s to the wind in the trees. To purpose over performance. To meaning over metrics. To becoming more you, not more optimized.

Let’s bring the soul back. Let’s make space for the sacred, even if we don’t call it that.

Your Turn

Take five minutes today, not to do, not to post, not to plan, but to ask: Who do I want to be, in this life, in this work, in this world?

Then, go outside. And listen for the answer in the wind.