One of the keys to how culture endures

This is one of the lines that has stuck with me since watching it as a teenager.

You could say that I wouldn’t be quite where I am now if I hadn’t heard it. There are just some things that stick with you long after the credits roll. If you’ve been reading all these issues in this newsletter, then you know by now that I’m full of these little references from various movies and shows. I don’t think it’s just me, either. We’re all influenced by stories like this. It’s how our collective consciousness is shaped: through the arts, through language, tradition, and tribal knowledge.

Self expression is the root of all of these things.

The fabric of civilization starts with you

Think about all that you’ve done and all that you’ve been influenced by.

Wait, no. It’s probably a bit overwhelming. Let’s start a little simpler.

Over the past few days, we’ve been digging into the source of self expression and what it means to you, why it matters in general, and slowly laying the groundwork for connecting your legacy with those you wish to reach. We’re approaching it from the bottom up, and this is the halfway point in this series.

Generations of people take what has been passed down to them, internalized it, and interpreted it through their experiences and lives, passing that to the next one.

On and on it goes, and now it’s your turn to do so.

• The languages you’ve learned, whether it be from your country of origin or your native tongue now, shape how you think and how you communicate.

• The traditions you’ve grown up with like Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day to name a few, most likely have some fond memories associated with them.

• Stories from your grandparents, your parents, and your extended family taught you morals and principles of behavior and conducting yourself honorably in society.

Beyond these things, you are shaped by the content you consume. Where does all that stuff come from? It’s all stories from countless sources, food from multiple cultures, rituals and rites that have been repeated. Like it or not, the world has rapidly become smaller and smaller with each advancement in technology. It wasn’t too long ago that humanity was nothing more than a collection of a few dozen families that formed into tribes, communities, kingdoms, countries, and ultimately civilizations.

With globalization came cultural exports, and if you live in the US, then you are living in one of the melting pot and the ultimate experiment.

Things suck right now for obvious reasons, but this nation was founded on the belief that everyone has the right to practice their religion, express their opinions, and live a life of freedom without persecution from those in power. If you think about it, our Founding Fathers used their collective self-expression to form the Constitution that endures to this day. Ideas enshrined in that document were adopted from an even older document known as the Magna Carta, one of the first to declare that even a monarch was subject to laws.

Why does all of this matter when it comes to you?

You are living in an age where you can record, archive, and amplify your legacy on a ridiculous scale. The digital heirloom project is merely one example of what you can do with all that’s available right now.

You are a conduit for the future.

Heavy stuff

I’m an Asian American who has grown up in a bicultural environment.

Whether I liked it or not, I was exposed to the traditions and values of both American and Chinese cultures. I’ll be the first to admit that there are more than a few things that seems to conflict with each other at various levels. In fact, most of my biggest self-limiting beliefs come from them.

Here’s an example, one of many that I’ve uncovered in my sessions with my therapist.

I hate self-promotion, marketing, and tooting my own horn.

It’s a common feature among a lot of aspiring solopreneurs in this space to be sure, but mine partially stems from the fact that it’s rather frowned upon in Chinese culture. Self-deprecation is a way of life for us. We were taught not to brag or boast or to be too proud of our achievements, that there was always someone better, who had more talent, who had worked harder than we had. Perfection was something to be relentlessly pursued, not an ideal that was unattainable.

They came to regret that when we grew up.

Now, they’re worried that my brother and I are working ourselves too hard. My father suffered from high blood pressure, and my mother is a cancer survivor. With both of them in their seventies now and realizing that there is an actual price to be paid from this cultural mentality, they no longer believe that it’s worth the sacrifice.

On the American side, people are taught that confidence and the “fake it ‘til you make it” attitude is how you get ahead in life. You must “move fast and break things” and be the first or the best at all costs, that wealth and fame are things to be admired and pursued.

So you can see how my childhood and my adult experiences are at odds with each other.

Self expression leads to hard realizations

The struggle of reconciling the two worlds and realizing that marketing and learning to run a business has a lot to do with addressing your mindset and facing some tough truths about yourself. You don’t have a shot at being successful at running a business if you aren’t willing to offer something for others to purchase, whether it be goods or services. I was taught to get good grades, get a good job, get a good wife, have good kids, work hard and retire.

My parents did all these things to the letter, and they’re doing just fine.

I don’t want to do “just fine”, though. I want to leave a legacy and inspire others to do the same. It’s why I’m here after my family is asleep, night after night, writing about self-mastery, self-awareness, and how I’m facing my personal challenges.

It’s why I’ve explored the breadth of arts, academia, and what connects them together.

Reflect on what creativity and self expression activities you’ve adopted from your family or culture that you want to include in your digital heirloom. This is something you can incorporate into your legacy to pass down to others.

Next time, we’ll tackle exactly what I’m facing right now: overcoming the fear of building in public and showing your work.