To be Global is a Choice I Made to be Free

Freedom is a collective state of being in Mongolia.

I have often grappled with the notion of loyalty especially in the current situation in the U.S. where one’s identity has become the crux of the country’s identity in a collective sense. My identity as an American as perceived by outsiders has always been at odds with how I truly see myself. Defined by my passport as a U.S. citizen, my sense of self contradicts that by living and feeling more like a global citizen.

I think in this day and age, we owe it to ourselves to push the boundaries of how we view ourselves in contrast to the narrative that the outsiders hold towards us. I owe it to myself to avoid narrowly placing my identity within the confines of “America.” First and foremost, I was born in the Philippines and therefore by default my ethnicity dictates that I act culturally as Filipina. I can’t help it, after all. I will make sure you eat when you’re a visitor in my home. I will make sure you enjoy singing as much as I do no matter how outdated and cheesy Karaoke can get. I will express my emotions freely and honestly, more often than you’re used to. That’s my culture and the identity that comes with being Filipina.

Then there’s the passion for traveling to every corner of the world. After venturing into more than 70 countries to date, my identity has been shaken to the core over the past decades. To me, traveling to so many countries of varied cultures and religions opened my mind to the universal facts of life, especially this one in particular:

We are all connected. We are one and the same.

This thought challenges the notion of loyalty in my head. I am now a version of the many disloyal Americans that you will come across — one who does not pledge allegiance to the narrowly defined identity that current politics wish to impose on all of us. Given the choice right now, I will opt to leave the country without any hesitation to simply be who I wish to be — a global citizen who’s loyal only to the universal laws of life —

A global citizen who believes in the notion of humanity regardless of race, background or creed and one that is not limited by nationality or physical boundaries.

I did leave the U.S. But I can assure you there are plenty of my kind around us, most of whom have fled the confines of societal expectations, and many of whom have carved a niche for themselves in one way or another, whether discreetly or openly.

In my case, I just happen to take a major liking to mountain trekking because akin to being a global citizen, mountain trekking does not favor any race, gender or background. Mountain trekking is a global citizen in its purest sense. It is the endeavor that fits the philosophy of a person who only craves to live a life that is authentically his or hers.

If we have to be defined by others via our identities, then tell me, whose life are you living? Yours or someone else’s? It isn’t in our nature to surrender to the expectations of others for doing so will lead us to a state of misery. We should surrender only to our own set of parameters as humans devoid of affiliations to anyone or anything. There is real freedom that thrives in the world of a global citizen and it covers defining our identity pursuant to the truths that we hold within ourselves. This is what it means to be a global citizen — at least in my world.

Becoming a global citizen comes with a price. It creates confusion on a constant basis as to who I was then in contrast to who I’ve become although most of the time the dilemma is manageable at a human level. Being a global citizen makes you more vulnerable and receptive to the suffering of others because you realize there is no such thing as US versus THEM. There’s only ALL OF US. When you reach that level of understanding, you realize divisions were merely lies told by those in power or those who suffer from ego-driven hunger for world domination. In fact, in essence, we are here to love, and yet we don’t because we have overlooked the importance of exploring within ourselves in lieu of constantly craving for external validation.

As global citizens, we choose to cast our nets widely to love and accept others beyond nationalities and physical borders. We take a step forward, not backwards. Those who remain loyal to the confines of their world only need to step out of that unlocked exit door — a door in our minds that has always been unlocked for a reason.

Will you step out?

Do so if you can. It’s beautiful out here where in the sweet spot we can reconcile our differences without speaking and yet we can truly tune in to the vibration of our energy. Here, there is a mighty roar that deafens me and shatters my spirit to the core so much so that even prejudices, biases, racism, sexism and all forms of oppression can no longer define us as perpetrators or victims of such. We are only humans capable of living a wide range of emotional and mental states, some of which can add to or deduct from the joy of our fellow humans as part of our nature.

It’s beautiful here in a manner that goes beyond thinking. It raptures my skin and echoes through the chambers of my beating heart that feels so alive and connected to some undefined power that takes a hold of me. I feel a sense of love towards myself and all living beings — a gift that came with forgiveness towards the transgressions of those who hurt me then and now.

I learned that the only loyalty that can sustain and stay with us is the kind that we have towards our ideas, convictions and core values. To be loyal to someone, an organization, a country or any entity for that matter can strangle our free will and authenticity towards ourselves. So, don’t be so loyal to what is so familiar to you all your life. Understand that when life persuades you to do something, it is dictated by fate even if you have to digress from the trappings of a familiar and conventional world.

Trust me.

We are more global than we care to show the world or admit to ourselves. You don’t even need to travel to think like a global nomad or to be one. Stories accompany us all the time, whether through chance meetings or the convenience of an internet. We are more connected than we ever were. Don’t you feel the closeness of your long distance friends, regardless of which continent they call home? I do. It’s thrilling to watch their lives online as if we are living their lives in real time.

The global nature of our experiences in our times is a unique undertaking. I sometimes miss the days when being a global nomad would mean being MIA. Belonging to Generation X, I experienced that a few times during an era where internet was totally unfamiliar. Who knew trying to be a hermit can be a challenging endeavor these days? We are all too globally attached to one another now to even bother hiding from the world completely.

In any event, we must appreciate the value of our global lives. There is pure joy in cultivating endless knowledge about the world and infinitely feeding our minds with all the possibilities of what life can offer in this day and age. From knowledge, comes self awareness which is the antidote to self-doubt. There’s no valid reason to let that chance pass us by. That way we can be the wisest we can ever be as humans who may very well one day find the key to the mystery of our own lives.

Go global, my friend. Seek your truths. Be you. Be free.