HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US how to be a part of a group, a system. We learn about civilizations, wars and armies. Besides the leaders who command these armies into battle, we rarely learn about what each person of that civilization believed in.

Were they thinkers, dreamers, outcasts who challenged the norm? Surely. But they would die instead of being given the freedom to explore their own beliefs. We aren’t wired to think as individuals, rather we think and make decisions as a group, a tribe, says Steven Pressfield in his book, The War of Art. 

Pressfield has written several fictional books on ancient Greece. In The War of Art, he discusses how to think on our own in the modern world and break through our inner creative barriers. The mentality of thinking for yourself changed with the ancient Greeks, who began questioning each person’s purpose in this world.

Have we actually come any closer to an answer? It’s difficult to imagine everyday life over two-thousand years ago. But once I started reading on my own about their stories, beliefs and habits I realized how similar we really are. They were human just like us. I’m sure a twenty-four year old then had many of the same questions I have now.

The world is big. I want to uncover the cultures that make us different and the same all in one. I want to explore and meet the people that give it life. I’m scared, too. There’s a looming doubt about what I want, and if it’s the right thing. But this doubt isn’t breaking me, nor is it holding me back. It’s a sign of love. If you aren’t scared to do something it doesn’t really matter to you.

Sometimes I wake up wondering what I’m doing. There’s a story in my mind that I want to play out, but I ask if I’m really that creative. A writer must be an authority and know exactly what they’re doing. I don’t. So why listen to me? Because I’m not doing this for an audience. I’m writing this for me.

Once I sit down, I get inspired. I feel a release. It’s energy leaving my body that turns into something entirely different. I’m able to put words into this world that nobody else can. Only I can express what I feel, nobody has been on my journey. I realize I love to write. I love to create what others can’t. This is what the Greeks were searching for, an answer. They wanted to know what each individual human was capable of creating in our own minds and how it fits into the bigger picture. This is philosophy.

When broken down, philosophy is the study of love “philos,” and wisdom, “sophos.” Today with so many external motivators and distractions we rarely think about why we’re doing it all. Most people follow the masses and do what others want. But what do I love as an individual? What passion burns inside of me that I can dedicate my life to and feel genuinely like I’m doing this for me?

It’s easy to do what others tell us to because then, we don’t have to dig so deep. But the artist, the creator, the believer inside of all of us feels that pain. We push that person deeper because it’s too painful to listen to that voice inside that wants to find its purpose. It’s time to accept that inner person and truly love them. The Greeks had several names for this type of love. They called it philautia, which comes in two forms. One is positive — love and pride in oneself. The negative is associated with narcissism, a false type of love. We all have bad days. I constantly ask myself what I can do better. I go in and out of slumps. I want to be the best version of myself so badly that I become frustrated when I know I’m not giving it my all…

Take off your mask and feel vulnerable. That’s honesty. Honesty is being okay with not having the answers, but having the humility to ask for help. Then our love for others can become real. It’s full and flows naturally. This is how we create the bonds that make life worthwhile. Throughout my life I’ve gravitated towards people’s positive energy. It’s a sort of genuine happiness with oneself which radiates and others can feel. I’ve developed deep relationships with these friends who I couldn’t live without.

The Greeks called this type of love for your friendsPhilia. To them it was the type of love developed by comrades in the battlefield. This is a love for one’s brother or sister who you trust to have your back through all the ups and downs that life throws your way.

If we had to handle life completely on our own, it would be damn near impossible. It takes courage and a deep understanding of oneself. That can take a lifetime to discover. Surrounding yourself with others who you can rely on gives life a simplicity. Without that deep friendship that I’ve found, life would feel empty. It’s that feeling that we’re all in this together discovering our own paths at this young stage of our lives and simply learning about the world.

Life can get in the way, but I know they’ll always be there when I need them, and I there for them. It’s a pure love that I have for my friends whom I truly want to see succeed in their own ways. That’s where the love of others can blossom. It’s a confidence in oneself which turns into confidence for your tribe, your circle. We all possess a true uniqueness, each one complementing the other. We’re on a similar path just trying to make sense of it all. Those questions that we began asking ourselves thousands of years ago may never find an answer. But I have faith that the muse will strike if we have the courage to ask.