Along with relaunching my website, I emailed people.
I told 2,200+ subscribers where I’ve been for the last 18 months and encouraged them to reply.
One email I received back broke my heart.
It wasn’t angry. It wasn’t manic.
It was like the person writing it had entirely given up on life.
Obviously, I won’t reveal the contents, but the general jist is this: A man – late 70s – has worked his whole life. He now lives alone with his dog. All of his family has passed. And he’s angry about the state of the world.
There’s more colour to it all, but it was a gentle reminder that:
- People want to feel heard. I feel honoured that a man I’ve never met would open his heart to me – a stranger – living on the other side of the world, just because I asked.
- Words can only do so much. People like to share as much as they can, but asking someone their life story is like peaking into a kaleidoscope. There are unimaginable specks and details that we can only see when we keep turning it. So we should keep asking questions.
- Your definition of happiness might not be the same as mine. Reading the email, I felt sadness wash over me – but why? How do I know if this man is unhappy? Sure, he might point to it, but could I be projecting? All we can really do is listen and show up for people as best as we know how.
No matter the case, I love receiving emails like this.
It’s why I share stuff online.
Give it a try.