Crushing Loneliness and Isolation

This article is based on the podcast "Making it on Planet Earth".

Website: https://www.makingitonplanetearth.net

Facebook page: https://facebook.com/makingitonplanetearth

A lot of people today are dying.

They are not dying of a physical disease.?

Rather - they are dying from a lack of encouragement.

They are dying from a world that does not care.

This has produced an ache in their heart.

A kind of isolation. A separation from their identity, and the rest of the world that sees them with indifference or worse yet, with contempt.

To not be understood is a terrible feeling.

To not even be heard can make us feel trapped.

To be human is to seek validation. That we are important. That we mean something.

Many young people today are crying out for that validation.

Old people as well, just want to be acknowledged.

In his best selling book "Lost Connections", author Johann Hari talks about his depression. And the drugs given to him by doctors who said there was a chemical imbalance in his brain. But after years of unsuccessful treatment - he concluded that the real cause of his anxiety was not his own brain - but rather, the state of society. The "lost connections" between communities and people.

The days of old had many problems, but 200 years ago, it can be argued that there was a greater sense of community.?

When I was 10 years old, I lived in a broken home. Domestic violence was common and I would try to escape by walking in the forest. I would walk and walk. Entering new neighborhoods. I believed that if I kept on going, I would finally reach a place of peace. Far, far away from the turmoil I came from.??

But no matter how far I walked, I still felt isolated. Travel and space could not erase the loneliness.

Because that ache in the heart goes, wherever we go.

One day on my long walk, I looked down at the ground and spotted an ant farm.

I was amazed by so many ants, building what looked like a mountain of sand with a hole at the top where ants were going in and out.?

The ants were so busy. Oblivious to anything around them. I bent down and looked closely. But they paid no heed to me.?

Ants are a marvel. They can build and sustain large colonies. But scientists remind us that ants are never taught how to create their amazing houses. It appears their behavior is internally programmed. A world renowned scientist at Florida State University, Walter Tschinkel, asks "How do ants - with no leader and no plan, create complex structures in the dark?"

Religious scholars believe they have the answer. Ants were created from day one with the knowledge and know-how - living proof of the existence of a higher power.

Was my 10 year old self looking down at that power?

In the Muslim faith, the Quran actually has chapters named after the ant and the bee - with lessons for humans on how to co-operate for the common good.

The tiny ant can carry objects 20 times its bodyweight. Comparing this feat to humans, it would mean that we could carry a car on our back.

Ants are among the longest living insects on the planet. The queen ant can live as long as 20 years.

When an ant is sleeping and wakes up, it often yawns. Just like we do.

Ants are a miracle.

But we humans are pretty amazing too.

Your spouse, your friend, your parents, your children. They are all walking miracles.

Look inward and marvel at yourself. As a child of God. As a miracle of the universe. You cannot be alone. Because that higher power created you and is keeping you alive.

It's in you. And it's God.

On the same team.

We all feel isolation at one time or another. You can be a billionaire or a famous Hollywood star - and still feel alone.

But we can feel closer to God and less alone if we focus on the miracle that is us.

Our bodies have 100 trillion cells, take 20,000 breaths and process 50 gallons of blood each day.

We have 650 muscles ready to move us from here to there.

New research on the human brain shows that contrary to popular belief, we use far more than 10 per cent of our 100 billion neurons. In fact, science now says we use all of our brain at one point or another.?

We are, indeed, much smarter than we think.?

Author Robert Breault has said: “You can hope for a miracle in your life or you can realize that your life is the miracle.”?

The human eye has a retina that is covered in millions of receptors which the brain can then translate into depth, color, distance and shades.

Science now says there is no expiry date on the human heart which beats 100,000 times every day. The heart can live without the brain - requiring only oxygen to keep working.

Oh, how we take advantage of life's mysteries! Our pre-occupation with judging others, complaining, allowing ourselves to be victimized and today's violence are the ultimate in disrespect.

Look at your wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend, your friends, your children, your parents.

Feel free to stare at them for just a moment and marvel at how beautiful they are.

How precious they are, and how different your life would be without them.

To conquer isolation and despair, think not of what you don't have, but rather - think of the miracle that you are. Feel your heart beating right now. Feel life. You are not alone.?

As a young person struggling to pay the bills and build a family, I yearned for encouragement.

But a strange thing happened one day.

There was a new recruit in the office, looking confused and a little scared - probably like I did when I started.

I gave this lost soul some encouragement. I said "you can do it" "Put your faith in yourself". From what I have seen, you are more than capable.

Giving encouragement to others made me feel more empowered.

I was less isolated. Less lonely.

Psychologist Seth Gillihan, author of "Mindful Cognitive Behavioral therapy" recommends to patients that they help others as much as they can.

For depressed people, it puts the focus off themselves and somewhere else. It improves their self-worth.

Crush despair and isolation today. Don't allow it to creep into your life.

Think of the miracle of life. Encourage and help others.?

This article is the script for my new podcast "Making it on Planet Earth" available on all major platforms. Click below to get a list of all links.