See and Be Seen*
It has been a hard few weeks. Fallen heroes. Human rights atrocities. The discovery that we may have unknowingly been eating horses and donkeys…
If you are anything like me then February left you feeling frazzled and frayed around the edges.
At times like these, it helps to not feel alone.
We need help to find and make meaning in what often appears crazy and meaningless. We need to feel understood and supported. We need to feel contained and safe.
We need community.
“No man is an island.”
“A trouble shared is a trouble halved.”
“A person is a person because of other people.”
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
It doesn’t matter what the saying is, or who says it, the sentiments are the same: people need people.
When we are too busy to think straight, when we feel assaulted by the bad news confronting us every day, when we feel overwhelmed by the demands of our hectic lives, there is a temptation to turn inward. To batten down the hatches and go below deck for a while. To opt out of society.
I understand it completely. I do it myself often. The lure of some quiet time in my own company is strong. I firmly believe that regular and frequent alone (or ‘me’) time is essential for any- and every-body’s well-being. But, as with all good things, moderation is key.
Too much alone time can leave us feeling lonely, isolated, disconnected.
Life can begin to feel more overwhelming, more frightening, less meaningful. The very feelings and experiences we are trying to protect ourselves from become a reality.
Because we need community.
We need to see and be seen. Hear and be heard. Love and be loved.
This month I encourage you to find comfort and meaning in your communities. There are mini-communities to be found in every area of your life: your relationships, family, friends, work, sport, church, art classes, mom’s groups, fellow commuters…
Every place you find yourself where you and at least one other person are present is a kind of community, a place of containment and connection.
Use those spaces to see and be seen. To hear and be heard. To love and be loved.
*This originally appeared as my March newsletter. If you’d like to subscribe to receive it in your inbox, click here.
Feeling overwhelmed in your life, work or relationships?
- Purchase one of my self-study online courses.
- “I have seen various psychologists and therapists but none of them have the skill of Judy in being able to relate to me and the way I think about things.”
- “Judy, you have given me the tools to change and move my life in directions I never knew possible. I am truly grateful for your help.”
- “Perception is everything and working with Judy has helped me realise my true potential by changing my outlook of life into more positive ones. I enjoy walking out of a life coaching session feeling like I am in control again, less stressed and more energetic.”
- “Judy is my go-to person when I find myself uncertain about how to interpret the signposts in my life. Her insights and ability to draw out what lies deepest inside have helped provide clarity and integrity at pivotal life moments over many years.”
- “I’d recommend Judy to anyone who’s feeling stuck, weary, confused, discouraged, uncertain, in need of support – basically, I’d recommend her to any carbon-based life form that breathes oxygen and would like to have a wonderful life.”
As seen on and in
