Let’s reclaim the internet
It’s time to reclaim the internet, y’all.
That’s why today I’m announcing the epically and perhaps poorly titled Summer of Reclamation (what can I say, I thought of it and became attached…am only now realizing it’s reminiscent of the “Summer of George!” for anyone who gets the Seinfeld reference).
This is a creative journey of sustenance, spaciousness, and deep connection — easy to fit into your wonky summer schedule. And in fact, for the parents reading this, participating in the Summer of Reclamation is a way to reclaim (see what I did there) some space for yourself during a season where it’s easy to be subsumed in shifting family schedules, energies, and demands.
“What exactly does ‘a creative journey of sustenance, spaciousness, and deep connection’ mean, Amanda?”
Fair question. Brass tacks:
You’ll get daily inspirational and instructional emails from me, M-F.
We’ll start July 1 and end August 31st.
My emails will be a mix of pep talk, instruction, real-world examples, and Q&As with current and former clients who are pushing through the resistance and showing up online in meaningful ways.
I’ll host an optional call at the beginning, middle, and end of this journey together for anyone who wants to meet the other people taking part in this succulent journey.
Participation costs $99 — however, thinking of the labor that will go into creating this experience, I can only honor this price if I get at least 100 people to sign up. So if you want this price, please invite friends and colleagues to go on this journey with you! If they are people you admire, who do important work and have compelling ideas but show up very little or in a lackluster way online…this experience is meant for them.
If you sign up and I don’t get at least 100 participants, I will refund your money. Or, you can tell me that it’s worth it to you to pay more than $99; if enough people express a willingness to pay enough, I can offer it to a smaller group.
(“The Summer of Reclamation” is included as a benefit for members of the Mighty Forces Community.)
“So, um…what do you mean by reclaiming the internet?”
I mean that the experience of being online should be filled with the voices, values, and vibes of people like you and me — people doing meaningful work, trying to make the world a better place, and committed to making choices aligned with our values. People who are digging deep to find the hope and resilience we need to birth a new world order, one that emerges from this patriarchal, white supremacist, capitalist mess and provides new pathways to human thriving.
We need connection with other human beings to fuel us, and they in turn need the same fuel flowing to them. This connection sustains us. And every time we show up online, talking about the work and ideas and people that matter to us, listening to other people do the same… we find sustenance.
That’s the end game: sustenance.
“Oh, so like, we’ll all build personal brands together? But they’ll be, like, really virtuous personal brands?”
No, no, a million times, no.
This is not about creating “personal brands.” Brands are for companies and products. We are neither of those things, nor are we cattle. We are human beings, alive in this messy world, doing our best, trying to make a difference.
In her book Doppelganger, Naomi Wolf talks about how often people refrain from saying something online because they’re afraid it’s “off-brand.” I’ve seen this myself with so many clients over the years. They have so much insight and perspective to share, but they’ve built a self-imposed, self-expression prison. They censor themselves, and the world is worse for it.
“Being online just feels so exhausting.”
I get it. But I think we make it more exhausting than it has to be with all the rules and restrictions we place on ourselves. I truly believe there’s a way to be in relationship with being online that feels relaxed, spacious, and sustaining. This is how it feels for me, and I’ve been finding clients, collaborators, and friends online for 20 years, even as algorithms and other aspects of “life online” have shifted.
Too often we think of having a social media presence, or any online presence, as this separate, odious project. But in fact, given how many people are active online, and how much time they spend there, I like to think of “being online” as an extension of being ourselves in the world.
Does that mean you have to be online constantly? No. (God no.) Does it mean you “have” to do anything? Also no. You do you.
But opting out of engaging online means choosing to leave a whole lot of potential connection and impact on the table.
I invite you to sit with the possibility that being online is part of being in the world.It’s an opportunity to be part of conversations that reach beyond your home, your office, your organization, your town.
Another essential reframe: It’s not “gracious” to avoid talking about your work. In fact, it’s…selfish. Because the things you’re seeing and learning can help other people — but if you’re never online, these gifts will never reach them. Yes, I used the word “gifts,” because in this interconnected human web, when you’re out here trying to be of service and make sense of the world (like we all are), being able to see what someone else sees is, in fact, a motherfucking gift.
“Ok, so, does this mean I have to spend my summer online, doing a bunch of extra work? ‘Cause, no thank you.”
No! Your commitment is to read my daily emails, M-F, for two months (not necessarily in real time - I’ll archive them on a password-protected website so you can binge ‘em at your convenience). Your commitment is also to bring an open mind and be receptive to the ideas I share. But you are not creating anything…not yet. You’re allowing a new relationship to being online to emerge, so that come Fall… you are ready to put this new relationship into practice.
My “Fall of Reclamation” (this sounds like a Game of Thrones episode…we’ve gone from Seinfeld to Game of Thrones) will be a group experience focused on building a weekly practice of being online, talking about things that actually matter to you, in a voice that’s authentically yours (imagine that!). One of the hardest things about building this practice is feeling like you’re shouting into a void — with this program, you’ll have a built-in cheering section and people who will not only read your posts but also engage with them in meaningful ways; and you’ll do the same for them.
By the time winter rolls around (or should I stick with the Game of Thrones thing and say, “Winter is coming….”), you’ll be proud, knowing that you’ve helped to reclaim the internet as a space filled with people doing meaningful work, trying to make the world a better place, and committed to making choices aligned with our values.
At a time when so much feels out of our control — this is very much in our control. And it matters.
Ok, so, to recap:
We, the seekers of meaning and connection, who are committed to creating a better world, do hereby acknowledge that reclaiming the internet is part of that work.
Our summer schedules may be scattered, but we like the idea of having a through-line of inspiration and sustenance that speaks to the heart of who we are in the world.
We get that the main goal of the SUMMER OF RECLAMATION is to shift our mindsets and psych ourselves up, laying the foundation for a FALL OF RECLAMATION where we put our new mindsets into action, with built-in support.
Questions? I don’t blame you, this is a lot to read through. Get in touch to let me know what’s unclear, or if it’s easier to record a voice memo, go ahead and do that and send it to me at amanda [at] mightyforces dot co.
In closing: You are a mighty force! And together, we are even mightier.
