How to Authentically Author Personal Autonomy and Meaning (and move beyond the rubble of adaptations)
The Soulpreneur Series Free Issue No. 16
Do you know what defeats the absolute biggest things without meaning?
(Hint: it’s tiny)
…It’s the most minuscule and tiniest thing with meaning!
Reading a book by Jungian psychoanalyst and educator James Hollis recently, and he suggested:
“Having a more interesting life, a life that disturbs our complacency, a life that pulls us out of the comfortable and thereby demands a larger spiritual engagement than we plan or feel is comfortable — is what matters most.”
“… Life is not about happiness — its about meaning.”
And as Hollis points out, “meaning” is only found in the whole picture — not the fragments.
What does “meaning” mean?
The word “mean” has varied meanings. It’s a bit complicated.
In one sense, “mean” can mean ‘in the middle’. This goes back to Latin medius "in the middle" and then, going way back to ancient times the root word *medhyo- which means "middle".
In the context of “what do I mean to do…” (as a verb) this is linked to intention, and what I intend to do. It comes from Old English mænan "intend (to do something), plan”.
The Online Etymology Dictionary suggests perhaps from the ancient Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root *men- "to think."
In another sense, “mean” comes from c. 1200, mēne, "shared by all, common, general”, traced back to PIE *mei- "to change; exchange" and is similar in ancient roots as the word ‘common’ and ‘community’.
In this sense, it points to shared meaning — such as languages — as in what is the common understanding of certain words and concepts. Without that commonality in understanding, language becomes rather useless (and a sense of community near impossible)
In other words, the question — what does it all mean? — is a little murky right from the get-go. If we jumble all these together it’s sort of like thinking and exchanging in those murky middle spaces.
It also suggests that ‘meaning’ is always on the move. And, just like Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle — we can never know the speed or position of a particle at the same time.
Searching for “Meaning” on Social Media?
Anyone who spends some time on social media and on the many websites and companies providing platforms for writing — for producing ‘content’ in “The Creator Economy” (including Substack, Medium, YouTube and more) — the search is on for Answers.
With this… comes no shortage of experts and even gurus who have all the (apparent) answers!
(for a small — or large — fee)
Go to platforms like Substack, Medium, X, LinkedIn, plus subscription sites like ConvertKit, Thinkific, Notion, and more — and you will receive endless notes, articles, emails, ‘lead magnets’, e-books, books, guides, and any number of other ‘things’ in the flavour of “How to…”
(I couldn’t even escape it in the headlines to this issue of The Soulpreneur Series).
Spend any more time researching, reading, and engaging and you will find common questions plastered everywhere. Somewhat empty, unoriginal, vacuous questions like:
How do I get more subscribers?
How can I get brands to sponsor me?
How can I increase my follower count?
How do I go viral on [enter platform here]?
Should I buy followers to boost my profile?
How do I make my content more shareable?
How can I get more comments on my posts?
How can I make my content more clickable?
What type of content is best/trending right now?
What's the best time to post to get the most likes?
What’s the best algorithm hack for [enter platform here]?
How can I automate my social media posts for maximum engagement?
So many of these questions focus on short-term gains and viewpoints, superficial metrics, and ego-satisfiers.
They are chase questions… chasing easy answers… but in an arena of over 5 billion people (on social media globally), there are no simple answers.
Trying to address many of these limp questions depends on contexts, experiences, creators, platforms, and so on. Without even getting into suggestions that even if one finds some decent answers to these questions — they won’t fuel a sustainable, nor meaningful set of experiences in writing, creating content, or otherwise.
Not lost on me here, is that the word “media” is related to the word “medium”, which comes from the same ancient root word *medhyo- which means "middle".
And thus, social media is a middle space, with moving meanings.
Yet, what I rarely find on social media (in the so-called Creator Economy) are explorations of bigger questions. Even some of the “Big Questions."
Big Questions
These are questions supporting movement, exploration, self-revelation, recognition, reflection, and so on.
Some of the biggest questions in life circulate amongst some common elements:
Who am I?
What am I here for?
What’s the meaning of life?
What’s the purpose of my life?
These are big questions…
…which have roamed human minds since the beginning of human time and the development of brain functions and language to ponder these questions.
And there may never be clear-cut, simple answers…
(such as “42” — from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — which is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything provided by the supercomputer Deep Thought after seven and a half million years of computation)
The transformative power of exploring big questions comes from getting into the thoughts, ideas, and sparks arising from the muddling meddling middle.
And, exploring big questions is what can lead to feeling like there is much more “Meaning” in life.
I wrote down a few powerful quotes from James Hollis recently:
“There are many ways of dying… death is only one of them.”
…
“It’s one thing to be afraid and risk the journey — its something else to be fugitives in our lives”
…
“The most haunting things in us are the unlived life.”
Soul as Meaning-maker
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading (and listening to) some of Hollis’ work. I borrowed his most recent books from the local library:
A Life of Meaning: Relocating your Center of Spiritual Gravity (2023).
Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times (2020)
Much of his work has been reassuring in the context of several decisions we’ve made in our household in recent years. Plus, in recent years, he’s written more about considerations for the ‘second half of life’.
The idea and creation of Box Cutter Co. arose from asking bigger questions, making ‘risky’ decisions, and listening deeply to inner guidance and soul directives.
This quote from Hollis resonated deeply as I read it, and wrote it down in my Learning Journal:
“An unconscious life is a danger to Self and others…
…No amount of outer accomplishments or recognition by the world ever equals that inner conviction — the conviction that one is living one’s journey as honestly and faithfully as possible.”
He points out that the word psyche is the Greek word for Soul. And, that “our psyche is a meaning-making, meaning-requiring organ.”
Indeed.
Exploring the Big Questions to Fuel the Fire (and let your Soul breathe)
Hollis argues “The quality of our lives is a direct function of the magnitude of the questions we keep asking.”
I’ve used this image below in a few posts and stories over the past 18 months - and it fits for diving into big questions as well.
It represents the idea that we can continue to fill ourselves with information, facts, and strategies (e.g., guru-advice) — however, little happens without some friction, some heat, maybe some open flame.
Elements like water, wood, metals, and so on require conflict and heat to transform their properties, shapes, and forms.
… often people do too.
Igniting Big Questions to Fuel Creativity (and avoiding Shit-Bait writing)
Box Cutter Co. (on Substack) is about 18 months in now — The Soulpreneur Series much less than that.
On Medium, I’m about 18 months too. I recently published my 300th story.
For even longer I’ve posted on social media weekly (in some cases, nearly daily). April of this year, marked 2 years since walking away from the ‘employee’ life.
I am naturally a ‘researcher’. Like others, I can get a little stuck in the tap-like image (on the R.) above. Simply trying to take in more and more and more Information.
However, there comes a time when all that information needs to be cut, sliced, diced, pulled apart, then turned round and round, cooked up, simmered, synthesized, and transformed into something.
When I started building online, started digital writing, and looked to build creative enterprises — I researched and searched and re-searched and searched some more.
I still do.
I’ve taken a couple of courses from some bigger Creators (some almost in the ‘guru’ stage of building). Yet, before I took any of those courses I researched and watched for months, before deciding to purchase anything.
I have also followed and subscribed to many Creators — and almost un-followed and un-subscribed from just as many. I’m pretty damn discerning and picky.
Plus there is just sooooo much Bullshit out there.
For example, I recently stopped by a creator’s profile on Medium. This is someone who has amassed almost 200,000 Followers on that platform. A remarkable number. (I have just over 7k in comparison).
Yet, this creator’s stories get less engagement than mine. Very few ‘claps’ and comments.
Why is this?
There are probably a few reasons… but from my observations, it’s because it’s been the same vacuous empty cheap chocolate bar fizzy pop-like content for years.
“5 signs of…bla bla bla”
“13 ways you can get do-de-do-dee”
I call it shit-bait… rather than click-bait… but it’s turned into just simply shitty-bait. Stale. Lifeless. (And clearly not many are biting anymore). It doesn’t seem like the creator finds much meaning in it.
It’s factory mode, plastic content.
The kind of stuff any AI tool can generate, and soon… probably post for you too.
Cut the Box to Generate More Meaningful Content?
After two years of playing this game — and in the meantime building a thriving Soulpreneur business (to this point largely based on services) — I may have been inoculated to much of the Bullshit circulating.
Don’t get me wrong — some folks create excellent material.
It’s just that we all need a full-body prophylactic to protect ourselves against the empty infectious shite circulating daily.
I’ve also noticed a trend in the past couple of months that maybe the gig is up for many. Seems that enough “Creators” have email-lambasted enough people to sell their $299 course (that goes up to $599 in 3 DAYS!) — and maybe a critical mass of folks have taken these courses and are now vocalizing how underwhelmed they are….
A result of seeking simpler answers and avoiding the deeper questions… maybe even Big Questions.
To cut through the noise (and bullshit) of the Creator Economy, we could all probably use more questions to spark thought and generate meaning. Here’s a list of big questions probing beneath the surface:
Who am I beneath my roles and masks?
What are the unique stories only I can tell?
How can I cultivate a sustainable creative practice?
What long-term impact do I want my work to have?
What values do I want to uphold in my creative journey?
How can I accept failure as a part of my growth process?
What does it mean to be authentically myself in my work?
What remains unfinished in me, waiting to be acknowledged and addressed?
How can I use my platform to contribute positively to community?
What inspires me, and how can I bring more of that into my work?
How can I stay true to my vision while adapting to changing trends?
What fears or patterns hold me back from living a non-fear-driven life?
What does true success look like for me, beyond numbers and metrics?
How can I balance creativity and commercialism in a way that feels right?
How can I create content that is deeply meaningful to me and people reading and engaging my creative work?
A Box Cutter Co. Challenge
Over this next week: ponder one (or more) of these big questions.
Write about it, reflect on it, discuss it with a friend.
Let it disturb any complacency you might have and pull you out of the comfortable.
In these questions, and in the friction and heat they create, see if you can uncover aspects of your true self and your true purpose. Your soul.
See if you can hear (or see) more of what your Soul wants to express through you.
Push your comfort and publish some of these — either in social media posts, a newsletter-type site, a Medium story, or otherwise. (If you do, please post a link in the comments)
Autonomy in Authoring?
The words authentic, author, authorize, and autonomy all have the same roots — it’s “Auto” meaning ‘self’.
Autonomy, by its roots comes from autonomos meaning "independent, living by one's own laws.”
I’m not suggesting devising one’s own laws in a communal or societal setting, but certainly within creative endeavours and The Creator Economy.
I once felt like the figure in the image at the start of this issue. Buried under the rubble of adaptations (e.g. 8-5 employment, etc.) and collective expectations (e.g., go to school, get a job, get married, have a family).
… granted I’ve generally not done too well marching to societal expectations… and thus where Box Cutter Co. comes from in name (and spirit).
What do you think of some of thoughts in this issue? - would love to hear other perspectives.
That’s it for this issue of The Soulprenuer Series.
I welcome your thoughts, questions, or otherwise. Please drop a like, a comment, or re-post on channels you navigate.
The next Free issue of Box Cutter Co. will be out shortly.