I am RUSTIC

Written on 07/15/2025
Jeff Kingsfield

I am rustic

From Rust to MAGNUS: Embracing Your Rustic Identity 

In this stirring video, Dr. Mitch Javidi redefines what it means to feel “contaminated” in our sense of self; especially for high‑achievers, veterans, first responders, and leaders transitioning into new seasons of life.

 He contrasts two ways of seeing our worn “rust”:
Contaminated – a toxic stain that diminishes us.
Rustic – weathered, seasoned, and full of character.

Rust isn’t damage, it’s evidence. It shows endurance, depth, story. “Rustic identity holds space for authenticity, resilience, character, presence.”

He extends this into his MAGNUS OVEA framework:
With elastic identity, we can stretch, adapt, and thrive, rather than be rigid or defined by past roles.

The core call:

“What feels broken is often just buried. What feels contaminated is often just mislabeled.”

Leadership isn’t about polished veneers, it’s about realness. MAGNUS ONE leaders rise through the grit, mistakes, sacrifice, and give back with quiet strength.

Why it matters:

  • For anyone feeling lost or diminished after career change, trauma, or burnout, this talk is a beacon of hope.

  • It invites us to see our own ‘rust’ not as flaws, but as proofs.

  • A reminder that true leadership emerges not from image, but from integrity and presence.

Perfect for sharing with… your leadership team, veterans in transition, professionals wrestling with identity outside performance metrics, or anyone seeking deeper self-worth post-challenge.  It’s a wake-up call: your story matters and your character, not your polish, is your power.