Human Connection
It's weird talking about human connection. I think mostly because we either disregard the topic or we think that it is such a basic fact of life that we never even need to talk about it...
Well, I think the time we live in now, it needs to be discussed for the sole reason that human connection is changing. To me human connection means, a touch, a feeling in your heart, something that makes you excited or even sad, but a feeling and a deep feeling at that. It used to be that human connection could mean making eye contact across the train one morning, or a smile from a stranger. But now we are so wrapped up in staring at our phones and looking at what others are doing with their lives, scrolling for new posts, and trying to see why our lives don’t match up to others. And it’s sad. Really really sad. Mostly because all of those posts and scrolls and comments are NOT real. What you see on your phone is not what is happening if you looked up and stared at the world with your own eyes.
As humans we need connection to survive. That is literally how we pass on our genes and create future generations. However, it is not just about surviving. It is about living, and living in the present. I always joke that my mantra and the way I live my life each day is just to yolo. For real though, we only get one life so why waste it? Yes, I love Instagram and I love being able to keep in touch with my friends who I do not get to see often. All of that is great. But the human connection I am talking about is one you do not get through a phone. It is by living in the moment, feeling all the feels your body is having, and letting yourself soak up every second of your life both the good and bad.
You can’t be sucked into believing that everything you see is true. I know many people talk about social media and how it is taking away from the depth of our lives, but I am more worried it is taking away from our true connection with others. If we become accustom to seeing pictures and posts and that is how we live our lives, then what happens to the human touch? The smile from a stranger? The deeper human connection that you cannot get from looking at a screen? I do not know the answers to these questions, but I challenge you to think about them. And truly think about how you want to live your one and only life. By staring at a screen, or looking someone directly in the face and feeling that warmth inside your soul.
Humans strive for that deeper connection. It is what makes us grow, it is where we learn new traits about ourselves, and it is how we develop as individuals. If we keep comparing our lives to one another, then we lose that connection and we miss valuable opportunities to improve upon ourselves.
Don’t get so wrapped up in the world going on around you, and never stop reaching for that full human connection.
