Stripping Away the Illusion of Race, Countries, and Flags
I’ve lived in Puerto Rico for 15 years, but my journey began in Brooklyn, New York, a place shaped by urban chaos and a deep disconnect from nature. My transformation has been a gradual shedding of layers of conformity. Through quiet solitude in nature, I’ve reflected deeply on the societal constructs we often accept without question. One of the most profound layers I’ve removed is the illusion of race, countries, and flags. Artificial boundaries that divide us yet do not define who we truly are.
In this post, I invite you to explore how rejecting these illusions can help us reconnect with the earth and embrace our true identity.
What Is Race?
I often ask myself: What is race? What truly defines it? Is it where you come from? The culture of a place? What purpose does it serve?
I believe the concept of race was created to keep us divided. Like herds of cattle, we tend to care only for our own, believing one group is superior to another. This old worldview confines our minds, a legacy we inherit and pass on, keeping us trapped in separation.
What if we chose instead to see beyond these divisions? What if we recognized that we are all made from the same elements, breathing the same air, sharing the same planet and soul?
Race:
When I look at the earth, I see the trees, the rivers, the mountains, not divisions based on skin color. Race is a category created by society, not by nature. Nature does not care about our skin color; it does not ask for a passport to cross a river or climb a peak. To identify as a particular race is to fall into the trap of separation, forgetting that all of us are made from the same elements. We are not defined by what we appear to be on the outside, but by the fact that we share the same planet, the same breath, and the same soul.
Countries:
Countries are lines drawn in the sand, constantly shifting, constantly changing. They hold no real power over who I am or who we all are at our core. These divisions only serve to create conflict, control, and fear. When I look at the world, I see lands that belong to no one, places that are as ancient as the earth itself, untamed and wild, free from the shackles of human-made borders. Why should I identify with a country that defines me by where I was born, rather than by my connection to all living things?
Flags:
A flag is a symbol of allegiance, often to an ideal that separates us from each other. Flags carry the weight of history, often filled with conquest, oppression, and division. To me, the only flag that matters is the one that flies above us all: the sky. It is vast, unclaimed, and free. The earth beneath our feet, the water that flows, the air we breathe. These are the true symbols of belonging.
Patriotism:
Patriotism is often seen as pride in one’s country, a loyalty to the place where we were born or raised. While it can bring people together under a shared identity, it can also create an “us versus them” mentality. Patriotism can lead us to view our country as superior to others, blinding us to the beauty and value of the wider world.
I believe true pride should not be tied to a single nation but to the earth as a whole. The land does not belong to us; we belong to it. Nature does not recognize borders or flags, and it does not favor one country over another. When we limit our love to one nation, we fail to see the interconnectedness of all life on this planet.
Imagine a patriotism that extends beyond borders, a pride in the earth and in humanity as a global family. This kind of patriotism fosters unity, not division. It inspires us to care for the land, not just the piece of it we call our country, but the entire planet that sustains us all.
All of the above—race, countries, and flags are nothing but boxes that confine us and limit our true potential as humans. These constructs keep us trapped in narrow identities that prevent us from fully embracing our shared humanity and the boundless connection we have to the natural world.
The Challenge of Letting Go
Many people will resist this perspective. The concepts of race, countries, and flags are deeply ingrained in our programming. For generations, these ideas have shaped how we see ourselves and others. To challenge them feels like questioning the very foundation of identity, which can be unsettling or even threatening.
Yet, questioning is necessary for growth. What if these labels are not the truth, but barriers to discovering who we truly are? By stepping beyond these constructs, we open ourselves to a greater understanding of the world and our place within it.
Reclaiming Freedom:
To identify with a country, a race, or a flag is to let external forces shape your sense of self. But when I reject these constructs, I reclaim my freedom. I am no longer bound by the identities others impose on me. Instead, I identify with the earth, timeless, unchanging, and unbound by the rules of men. I am rooted in the natural world, where divisions do not exist, where all beings are interconnected.
I refuse to partake in the illusion. It is a deliberate choice to reject these labels and live in alignment with a deeper truth. This refusal is an act of liberation, a reminder that I am not confined by the borders others have drawn. I am part of something greater, humanity, nature, and the universe itself.
Proud of Our World
People often take pride in their country but rarely in the world as a whole. We remain divided by an inherited mindset.
What does it mean to be American or Japanese or Italian? What does any race mean in the grand scheme of the universe?
I am not defined by borders. I see the world as a whole, a beautiful, interconnected earth that we all share.
“We are all equal in the fact that we are all different. We are all the same in the fact that we will never be the same. We are united by the reality that all colors and all cultures are distinct and individual. We are harmonious in the reality that we are all held to this earth by the same gravity. We do not share blood, but we share the air that keeps us alive. I will not blind myself and say my black brother is not different from me. Nor will I say my brown sister is not different from me. But my black brother is he as much as I am me. And my brown sister is she as much as I am me.” — C. JoyBell C.
The Limits of Identity
People often ask, “Where are your parents from?” This question, though common, misses the point. If we trace back generations, we see that origins blur into the vastness of human history. What does it mean to be half this or half that? We are all mixtures of countless ancestries, scattered footprints across time and space.
Labels create separation where none truly exist. They trap us in cycles of misunderstanding and hate. Instead, I choose to see everyone as brothers and sisters sharing the same planet and the same mother.
The Freedom of Oneness
Imagine a world where we do not hate each other for the color of our skin. A world where racism is a distant memory.
To get there, we must evolve our mindset. Care for one another. Roam freely, learn from each other, connect as human beings, not strangers divided by invisible walls.
It is liberating to live beyond labels. We were not born into categories. We were born into the world. In that birth, we are connected to all things, beyond boundaries, beyond skin, beyond flags.
We Are Earthlings
We are all Earthlings. When people define themselves by place alone, I hear how small their world truly is. Why limit ourselves when the world is vast?
We travel on an organic spaceship with only outer space as our boundary. We are free to roam, learn, love, and live for one another. The world is beautiful. Let us not make it ugly by building walls between ourselves.
We have created restrictions, but the truth remains: we are all humans, and we are all one. It is time to wake up and realize this.
“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it.” — Joseph Conrad
How Do You See Race?
The idea of race has been woven into society’s fabric for so long it limits us, keeping us confined to boxes where we do not belong. But what if we could break free? What if we could reclaim our true identity as Earthlings, united by our shared connection to nature?
I want to hear your thoughts. Does the concept of race still hold value, or is it time to transcend these boundaries and see ourselves as part of something greater?
Leave a comment below and share your perspective. Let us start a real conversation and challenge the narratives that divide us.
