During my solo hikes and wilderness forays, I have dug deep within myself – step by step and layer by layer – to understand, release, and evolve the labels I use to describe my identity.
Realizing that the person you knew ten years ago is not the person you are today and will not be the person you are in a decade.
As I hiked through the snow to Bear Peak in Colorado this spring, I thought about how limiting labels can be. When we let go of narrowly defined labels and instead articulate our underlying values and beliefs, we can move freely through a world of possibilities.
For over a decade, I called myself a “runner.” Almost all of my outdoor activities and exercise involved running in some form. I didn’t make time for hiking (too slow) or other activities because I would have to sacrifice running. Running was my identity. Freedom and expansive thinking came when I adopted the mindset of an “explorer.” I love experiencing nature, taking in breathtaking views, and testing the limits of what I can do on evolving trails.
Switching from “runner” to “explorer” has broadened my horizons, and I only recently realized this. Throughout all seasons, I still snowshoeed, skied, went to the gym, ran, hiked, and biked to explore my world. By articulating this all-encompassing, broader mindset, I gave myself the freedom to evolve in the many ways one can embody.
And it was wonderful to experience that.
Other labels have constrained me in the past. Through spiritual exploration, I asked myself, “What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be human?”
What happens when we imagine who we could be before expectations were imposed and our possibilities limited? We used to feel like we had to “cover up” parts of ourselves byHide, filter or maskto be accepted, valued and respected.
I’ve done a lot to reflect on my journey and discover my queerness, my joy, my voice. I’ve worked little by little, adventure by adventure, to make the hidden parts of myself visible. I’ve asked myself: what’s left when I leave the labels behind?
Or better said, what can I become?!
This past year brought a lot of clarity. I meditated to understand our interconnectedness and my role in it. I explored the interface between the physical and the awe-inspiring. I found fertile ground for growth by asking questions and stepping into the unknown.
Through this ongoing process, I finally freed myself from yet another label that constrained me. What does it mean to be a “man,” I asked myself again.
There are as many definitions of gender as there are people on the planet. If I encompass the male and the female and everything beyond, is that a label I believe in or claim as my own?
Finally, while hiking in the wilderness, the answer came to light quietly but firmly.
No, because I am human. That encompasses everything.
These revelations, this synthesis, are like digging through the filing cabinets of my mind and pulling out dusty files labelled “man” and “runner”. I opened them and found the contents were outdated and based on faulty research, with pages full of contradictory edits in pencil and red ink. I shoved them in the trash, making room for new files and new ways of thinking to fill the gap.
At every turn on life’s many roads, remember to dream big and take ambitious steps forward. Remember that your mere presence changes spaces, energy and thoughts. Know that transformation is possible and can be experienced everywhere we go – if only we are open to it.
Josh MillerMBA is a queer changemaker, speaker, photographer and outdoor explorer. He has been described as a “force in our community.” She Co-founder IDEAS xLab And (Un)known projectand were awarded Louisville Business First’s 2022 Nonprofit Visionary Leader Award and featured in Business Equality Magazine’s Forty LGBTQ+ Leaders under 40 and Louisville Business First’s Forty under 40.A two-time TEDx speaker, Josh has inspired Fortune 500 companies and international audiences alike. They were Soros Equality Fellow 2022 and their work was presented by The New York Times, the Aspen Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Contact Josh at LinkedIn or at @joshmillerventures
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