We have all had to adjust to a new way of being.

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The world we live in now is more virtual and les in person.

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Yet this does not diminish our need for connection.

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In fact, it increases it.

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When we are so isolated we don't see our friends and family, the urge to be with people is heightened.

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As we desire to stay safe and keep others safe, our desire to be with others is neglected.

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Yes, we can still see people virtually.

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An old-fashioned phone call can do wonders these days.

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Yet none of it is a replacement for giving and receiving a hug from a good friend.

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Nothing can replace the physical necessary of affection shared by people we are closest to.

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We all feel that way, we all desire to be with others.

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After all, we are social creatures by nature.

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We have evolved to live, work and play together.

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So when that ability to be with each other is taken away, we are loosing something very essential.

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We loose the thing that keeps us human.

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Our connection to each other.

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So what do we do when miss our friends and family so much?

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We honor that feeling.

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Not suppress it, and not ignore it.

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That only leads to trouble.

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When we shine a light on that feeling, we are recognizing that we have a need.

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It may be an unmet need, but it is a need nonetheless.

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We may not be able to fulfill that need, yet we can learn how important it actually is to us by looking at it.

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By seeing it for what it is.

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A desire to connect.

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To not be alone.

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That irreplaceable need to be part of a tribe, a community.

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We all have it, and it is not something to ignore.

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For once we recognize it for what it is, perhaps we can find other ways to get that need met.

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Perhaps we can meet a friend in a park and at least see them and hear their voice with our own ears.

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Or maybe we can bring a group together by agreeing to all get tested.

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We still want to be safe.

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There is no need to be reckless.

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And we can avoid that by recognizing that there is a real need to be with other people.

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It can more challenging to need this need at this time.

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So it is up to us to be more creative, more open to new ways of meeting it.

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What can you do to meet your need of being with other people? Or are you enjoying being by yourself?

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~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant