route to pleasure, a shifting mindset for human connection

written by: yasi akyurek

Space, energy, and healing belong to all of us, because we share this planet, and we exist as a collec-tive. It's our responsibility to release what no longer serves us so that we can reconnect, realign, and live in harmony with one another. Doing the inner work is not just a personal journey; it's an offering to the whole. When you allow yourself to confront and heal your wounds, you're not only releasing trauma for yourself, but you're also creating an energetic ripple that moves through the collective. Your healing contributes to the healing of all.

Fashion, for many, is more than just clothing, it's a powerful form of self-expression and art, a visual manifestation of our identity, and a form of healing for many. For people like me, who sometimes struggle to express themselves verbally, creativity becomes a vital outlet. Through fashion, we can communicate who we are without saying a word. Taking risks with style, leaning into bold choices, and allowing ourselves to fully explore it becomes a tool for growth. As we evolve and embrace our true identities, our style evolves with us by unlocking a deeper connection to our most authentic selves. Stylist Genesis Web once said, "I feel like finding what's beautiful in things that shouldn't make sense, and in a lot of the ugly that other people see, is what I like to do most". I thought to myself, if I can go around and notice the beauty in everything I see, and appreciate what I see, then I release levels of inspiration and love, rather than judgment and hate. Energetically this shifts in our 5th dimension, the spiritual realm, bonding us together, and being truly in touch with our bodies and second skin.

The 3D world is daily life, and what we perceive from our higher energetic sensing, all has an influence on how we feel. If we are continuously in the 5th dimension, we are not present, we are checking out of our bodies. Society has formed ways of instant gratification to feel something when our body is actually in need of self-exploration, and the truth. We are in denial of what our bodies are trying to tell us, resulting in the need for an instant spike of dopamine, turning to socials to see those likes come in. Pleasure allows our brain to use its reward system. This triggers our brains to motivate us to reach our long-term goals in this lifetime. Although there's good dopamine, oftentimes if we aren't in a place of peace, we cope with what's called "easy" dopamine. As humans, our brain is trained to be addicted to "easy" dopamine, because it's highly profitable. When you are scrolling and scrolling, gaming, hitting the vape, or trading crypto, you are experiencing a small dose of dopamine that is considered to be "easy" dopamine. When your favorite designer has an incredible show, you subconsciously begin to release tiny doses of dopamine, which eventually leads you to purchase the product, releasing even more small doses of dopamine. It's like a craving and a high. We confuse desire with happiness because we're all addicted to easy dopamine; a quick fix, but not a long-term fix. If we keep neglecting the truth, we will never reach ultimate peace within.

In Giovanni Dienstmann's novel Mindful Self Discipline he said, "If you keep bringing that energy back to zero every day by indulging in instant gratification, is it at all surprising that you don't feel so driven to seek your long-term goals?". Easy dopamine is instantly gratifying at the moment, but to reach your long-term goals, you must shift your mindset, and shift what you're doing if it's not working. When you shift your mindset, you find beauty in everything. This essentially shifts your quality of life and connects you to the highest vibrational people in our universe. Stanford Professor Dr. Towery, spoke about how shifting your mindset can shift your reality. There are two different types of belief systems, "fixed" and "growth". A "fixed" mindset is black and white. There is no process of noticing the positives of a situation when it doesn't go the way you intend. A "growth" mindset correlates with someone who can notice the beauty, acceptance, growth process, and learning experiences of situations.

The same goes for fashion. A " fixed" mindset keeps you confined, a designer brand is a validation of a product, and it's your comfort zone. It limits exploration and often leads to following trends without intention or authenticity. But what happens when you shift into a "growth" mindset? When do you give yourself permission to fully dive into your own sense of style?

Start exploring what surrounds you. Draw inspiration from visionaries where creatives have embraced a "growth" mindset to push boundaries, connect deeply with the world, and express their truths through fashion and art whether it's Alexander McQueen or Vivienne Westwood, the person, not the brand. Designer Dilara Findikoglu has taken a beautiful approach to fighting for women's rights as well as Alexander Mcqueen during his 1997 runway show "Highland Rape". Vivienne Westwood used her time and creativity to fight for positive activism in everything.

Charli XCX shared, "I wouldn't have a career without the LGBTQ + community". Finally, Gaga, since the beginning of her career, has been fighting for LGBTQ rights, freedom of self expression, and freedom of sharing the beauty behind individuality. Many of us discovered their beauty of acceptance, and their art. What they all have in common is the human connection. They've expanded. They've created from a place of personal authenticity and, in doing so, created powerful connections with others.

In this age where fashion is becoming more faceless, saturated, and even dehumanized, we need to usher in the essence of art, expressing something real, and allowing it to resonate, to always see the person on the other side. The industry doesn't nurture creatives to grow, and in many ways have stunted our creativity. Through exploring therapy, EMDR, meditation, breathe work, yoga, Pilates, and gut health to list a few, I realized that shifting my mindset was the most successful way to finally be able to dive into myself, be free to artistically create and live, essentially allowing me to release quality dopamine. It allowed me to notice individuality in humans as a form of art expression, and inspiration to myself. I find myself highly appreciating everything "unordinary". When people express their true authentic selves through clothing, I am most inspired. I took inspiration from all and began to authentically explore through my fashion, and I feel the most authentic to myself than I have ever felt. What if we as humans allow ourselves to see the beauty in all mankind without judgment, and without hate... Judgement and hate are actions that come from a person's personal discomfort, and unwillingness to open up. Read that again. Once you do, let's make this a place where everyone can have the opportunity to feel safe, feel heard, and feel like they belong. You've heard it from the queen herself, Dilara Findikoglu, as she says, ". powerless...Let the jacket fall. Let us see your heart", continuing, "This is the era of pursuing things differently and not following the system...". We live in a world that is changing every single day. Our society is completely disconnected, especially as I notice America completely falling apart. Half the population thinks in a "fixed" mindset, and it's affecting the way we as humans connect and live on this earth together. If everyone can start seeing through a "growth" mindset lens, the world would be a better place.