It’s Okay to Feel Lonely

(light music) Wherever you're listening from, let this be a few minutes just for you. Whatever you were doing before or whatever you have to do after, let it wait. You don't have to be anywhere right now, except here. Get into whatever position actually feels easy right now. No need to sit a certain way. When it feels right, let your eyes close. Take a slow breath in, filling your lungs fully, then let it go, slow and easy. Once more, just like that. That's it. And now letting the breath find its own pace again. Loneliness doesn't always look like being alone. Sometimes it's sitting in a room full of people you care about and still feeling like nobody quite knows what's going on with you. If that feels familiar, you're not alone. Even though it might feel that way right now. A lot of us were taught that closeness with other men should stay at a certain depth. Sports, work, maybe an update on the family, but not much deeper. The friendships are real, but they stay on the surface. Whatever's underneath doesn't get shared. That might look like a new career you've been considering, or the stress of caretaking for a loved one. The things you need support for are too deep for small talk. When you feel like you can't share, that can create a gap between you and those around you over time. It's easy to miss because from the outside, everything looks fine. Your inner voice might start to discourage you from sharing with people. It might say things like, nobody would want to hear this, or I should be able to handle this myself, or everyone's busy, it's not worth bringing up. Just notice that those thoughts aren't facts. They're just thoughts, and thinking them doesn't make them true. Let yourself think of a moment recently where people were around, but you still felt unseen. You don't have to solve it, just notice it's there. What does it feel like exactly? Is it sadness? Isolation? Maybe something closer to invisible? Whatever it is, let yourself feel it without judgment, and see if you can offer yourself a different story than the one you've been telling. Something like, wanting to be known isn't weakness, it's human, or I don't have to carry this without anyone, or one honest conversation can change this. Loneliness isn't proof that something's wrong with you. It's closer to a signal, like hunger. It's just letting you know it might be time to reach out towards someone. Just picture who that person might be. Maybe it's a text, maybe a call. It doesn't have to be a big conversation to matter. Now, taking one more easy breath in, and out. And whenever you're ready, opening your eyes, carrying a little more openness with you....