Get a college degree. Get a job. Have a family. Get a good source of income. All these possessively demanding verbs have become pervasive in our global society. The socioeconomic system constructed during the start of the industrial revolution still runs the course of this aging world, deploying one human being after the other through as products on the conveyer belt of life; our DNA acting as factory serial numbers. We have slowly defined our humanity by our possessions and titles and milestones, while we have forgotten the true essence of living. Why do we have to abide to this outdated system? Why must we limit our horizons to what benefits us in a materialistic sense, but not what enhances our perceptions and humanity? Why have we developed into a world where exploration and inquisitiveness and curiosity have eroded into simply what may benefit the economy, or to what may fit our social circumstances and traditions? Our innate passion to explore; to define the unknown and to grasp it with our bare hands and feet – that ancestral drive has been lost in the clutter of the metals that drive industry and the papers that define the economy. To me, what it truly means to be human means to truly explore your potentials. It means taking risks to develop a deeper understanding of how your emotions drive your love for beauty and simplicity and serenity. It means unifying your mind with your soul, so that they may work in tandem to create something truly beautiful out of the mysteries of the world. It means loving things unconditionally, and appreciating the small things that can evoke intense emotions. It means doing what you love and sharing your knowledge to connect with others. We shouldn’t let preset rules and an outdated way of life destroy the beauty behind the unknown. It shouldn’t quench our desire to love and to take risks. It shouldn’t objectify everything in life and scare us from following our hearts and guts when the feelings overwhelm us. Sometimes our bodies know better than our minds that have been willingly or unwillingly tainted by the views of society and industry. The fears of failure have grown, blinding us from the rewards of risking. Failure is too essential a part of life for us to fear. Follow your heart, learn to dig your bare feet and hands into nature every now and then, and connect deeply with others. That way, humanity doesn’t seem so lost after all.