Wayfinding: A New Chapter
A new direction for this Substack
I’m taking a new direction with my writing on Substack.
I’ve previously focused this newsletter on connection, especially, but not limited to, human-to-human connection.
This is still a theme with great personal resonance; human connection lights me up and nourishes me, so I spend much of my time exploring ways to expand the depth and breadth of connection in my life, and exploring ways to bring that to others through my work and various projects.
Yet, increasingly, I see connection through the lens of authenticity: what it means to live a life that feels true to oneself and how a lack thereof profoundly limits the depth and sustenance of our connections.
I’ve explored this theme of authenticity for years through my work with Wayfinders, Instagram posts, daily journaling, personal journey, and many other realms.
My journey has taken me into the depths of my soul and psyche to uncover some essential truths about myself and who I might be beneath the layers of masks I have worn throughout my life.
The more I shed those masks and show the world a version of myself that feels truer to the original, the deeper and more heart- and soul-nourishing my relationships have become.
I have let go of relationships in the process, but the end result feels so much richer and satisfying and authentic.
This journey feels essential, at the core of what it means to live a fulfilling human existence.
So, I have begun documenting my journey—and all of the accompanying research, exploration, tools, frameworks, and exercises—in a forthcoming book. I plan to complete it in 2025 and hope to publish it in early 2026.
The book (and this accompanying newsletter that will share snippets of the journey) are informed and inspired by three ideas that define our human experience:
The biggest regret of the dying is not living a life that felt like their own.1
The depth of our relationships is the most significant predictor of health and happiness.2
For most people, there is a tension between being true to ourselves and connecting with others.
As Dr. Gabor Maté, known for his groundbreaking insights into trauma, attachment, and authenticity, explains, we are born with two essential needs: authenticity, the ability to be our true selves, and attachment, the deep connection and acceptance we crave from others.
But when being authentic risks losing attachment—as it often does in childhood—we choose attachment every time. While necessary for survival, this tradeoff disconnects us from ourselves and sets the stage for a lifelong struggle between who we are and who we think we need to be.
Resolving that tension between authenticity and connection is the book's central premise - and this newsletter's new direction.
It’s about uncovering the person you are at your core and learning to live, love, and belong from that place.
It’s about finding the relationships we’ve always longed for when we finally let go of our masks: we discover those rare, precious people who will climb life’s mountains alongside us—and love us as we are.
I hope you’ll want to follow along. The promise I make to you is to write honestly (no AI content!) and give you some valuable tools and tips to help you live a more authentic and connected life.
Yours,
Mike Brcic
A few other ways to connect with me
Wayfinders, where I host transformational adventures and retreats for entrepreneurs in some of the most spectacular and remote locations on the planet.
Instagram, where I post daily reflections on living authentically, along with my daily ‘Soul Journal’ journaling prompts.
My public events calendar, where I host in-person and online gatherings of soulfully-minded humans.
In her book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, Bronnie Ware identifies the most common regret as "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
Julianne Holt-Lunstad's meta-analysis of 148 studies involving over 300,000 participants found that individuals with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival. This effect was comparable to quitting smoking and exceeded the influence of many other well-established health factors like physical inactivity and obesity.
Love this clarity and direction, Mike, I'm all in and can't wait to see where this goes!