Where Are All the Grownup?

Hey friends,

Last night, I had what some call a dark night of the soul—a confrontation with collective shadow. I woke at 3am, in anguish about the state of the world—our degrading systems, corrupt leadership, spiraling debt, and AI racing ahead of our ethics. Then I got mad!

Where are All the F’ing Grown-ups?!!!

Where are the wise, calm, grounded people who have the moral courage to tell the truth and do hard things? Where are those able to feel the tension of the time but remain resolute and act with clarity? Where are the leaders who self-reflect and choose collective interest over self-interest?

Children in Charge

It feels like adolescents are running the show—impulsive, powerful, but woefully underdeveloped. Then I thought, maybe this human-made crisis is less about politics or technology and more about development? We’ve grown materially and technologically, but not emotionally, morally, or spiritually.

We're Not Bad, We're Behind

There’s nothing wrong with my fifteen-year-old daughter. I have faith in her intrinsic goodness. But is she consistently making good decisions? No, she is not. It’s the same with us collectively, we’re not bad, but we are behind. Awareness is a form of adulthood, which is why shadow work is more important than ever. It's not self-help. It's not indulgent. It's necessary and our times demand it.

Now is Our Time to Act

Shadow work helps us face what we’ve been avoiding—our pain, our patterns, our unacknowledged fears. It’s how we grow up. It’s how we become the adults the world so desperately needs.

If you’re feeling this too—this anguish and heaviness, this call—you’re not alone. The collective shadow is arising in you, too.

I want to invite you to do the work with me.

Come on retreat.

Book a coaching session.

Or simply reach out and talk.

The world doesn’t need more adolescent indulgence and chaos. It needs more grounded presence. And that begins with people like you and me—turning inward, waking up, and stepping forward with wisdom, compassion, and grit.

Let’s grow up together.

With strength, humility, and hope,

Mark

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