The more isolated we become, the less opportunity there is to be of service to our friends, family and community. The more we hibernate in our own worlds, the more we fixate on ourselves and become absorbed by our own processes. What makes healthy homes, communities and countries, in part, is the ability to create and connect with community and find ways to serve that community. Removing focus from ourselves and our own struggles improves our capacity to heal instead of falling into the rabbit hole of negativity and feeling like things will never end.
How do we develop the self-agency to show up for others in a world that’s changing rapidly, where connection is taboo and it is challenging to support each other in person. This isn’t about negating or arguing about the validity of the pandemic, it’s about remembering that when we use our time and energy to support others, we feel better and the world is a better place.
TImes are confusing when those challenged with guiding our nation and provinces comment on how close we can be with our families, friends, dating and sexuality. Again, I’m not here to argue about what’s right or wrong, yet open dialogue helps us gain perspectives together. When dialogue about how we engage on the most intimate levels becomes public, how does that affect our ability to grow and maintain friendships and relationships and find ways to be of service? It’s tempting to hide out, disconnect on our devices and unplug from the world. It takes tenacity to find ways to show up for people differently.
Isolation and fear of connection affects our abilities to relate and network with people in healthy and meaningful ways. How is this going to impact our lives for years and decades to come? If we don’t find solutions and ideas to help with fear and isolation, how will that impact our future? What will our lives look like when we come out of this? We’ve been learning that our wayward relationship with technology is hindering connectivity. In our current world, how do we find a path to connection instead of separation?
I’m battling. I’m trying to keep my business open; trying to keep a space available for people to come and connect with themselves and with our community. Over the years, I’ve had countless people tell me that this space, where the focus is on staying healthy emotionally and physically, has been a life saver for them. Literally. What are we missing out on if we are unable to connect in our life?
Even socially, my circle is small these days. I’m attempting to make the right choices in order to stay healthy and maintain a business. This means that I do get the connectivity while at work and I’m able to satiate that one desire, but its’ not happening at home. I have a daughter but I’m single. This means I lack the physical and emotional connection that comes with seeing friends regularly as well as any the intimacy (which our leaders feel inclined to comment on).
I’m not alone: many of you are struggling to find connection even within the walls of your homes. Some are recognizing the fractures in relationships as people are forced to spend more time together and unable to avoid their problems without the distraction of everyday comings and goings. Loneliness even within our homes can be a very real experience. Just because people are living together doesn’t mean they have the same perspectives and don’t struggle with communication, connection and a sense of being of service. Care taking kids or sick family members can be draining and unmotivating. With so much struggle how do we connect?
How do we heal when we’re hurting? How do we deal with the pain of disconnection when we’re unable to create healthy, regular and vibrant face-to-face connections? And how do we find a way to be gentle with ourselves, to not be afraid of each other, and build connection when we don’t know what the future holds? I don’t have the answers; I consider myself a seeker and an explorer of life and the human spirit. But what if we could come together and find ways to build relationships instead of destroying our need for networks?
What if your purpose in this life is to be curious, to be called to something greater every day and new ways of thinking? To find ways to not live in fear yet acquiesce to what’s happening in the world and create connection in spite of it all? How do we safely explore ways to help others and ourselves and not feel so lonely and alone in a time that’s rife with uncertainty?
Again, I don’t have any answers. I’m looking for ideas. I want to encourage all of us to show up in our lives, to acknowledge our discomfort and confusion and create ideas while still supporting one other. Using this time to dig deep and think of new ideas and to reach out to people and your community no matter how scary it can feel.
With love,
Noelle