The reality of the human experience is often draining. Hopelessness expands like gas in a room without you realizing it. Despair is accessible and easy to notice. There’s direct access to the news at your fingertips, enough to make anybody anxious. Therefore, hopefulness isn’t uninvolved; it’s intentional. You scratch, claw, and fight your way to see such hankerings.

The journey is doing the right things even if the wrong ones feel better. The challenges for a brighter perspective start with a single step. It could be as small as putting your phone down or as big as helping a neighbor.  No sole path exists, so you covet its beauty when you capture this feeling. The virtues, in particular, are the insignificant gestures of kindness, and the unexpected conversations with strangers. These tools have the potential to change your day when you least expect it to.

The pragmatic glow has been harder to come by as of late. My brain registers information the same as a ‘for you page’ on social media that lives with a 15-second attention span for nothing more than horror. The exposure to negativity bias has left me riddled with fear and doubt. Sometimes, the listlessness keeps me distracted from my usual aspirations. Some days, my mind says pulling the covers over my head and hiding out would be much easier. The overwhelm is often all too consuming. But when darkness falls in the purview, I dig deeper within. I turn to my favorite silver lining: the gift of connection.

The fuel of attachment to individuals is a vulnerable point. The comparison makes me wish to be the tough girl with a hardened heart. I’d love to sit and say that I don’t need anybody. It would not be necessary to share the softest parts of me. I could bottle it all to protect myself from rejection. But the strength I perceive in this supposed independence does not match the force I have in myself.  Having my guard up would leave me less exposed, but the experience of spending with others gives me fulfillment and peace from my busy mind. The power of shared experience can be life-changing because it provides color to the world around you. Learning from others allows for different perspectives on new ideas, thoughts, and potential lifestyle changes.

My mother always says when I inquire how you’re doing, I’m the rare human who implores with sincerity. Despite the exposure to my heart, I care for those around me without condition. I get invested in those I see daily – family, friends, co-workers, or the local deli cashier. A bad day can go away with a FaceTime call to home, a text from a group chat, or a casual conversation with a person on the street. These interactions are the pulse of the world. They allow for conversation, stories told, feelings to be talked through, and opinions to expand the horizons outside of what may appear like there’s only one solution when there are at least four others.  Often, when I step outside my head and become present with those at the moment, I find myself better suited. No one is ever alone if you look hard enough.

As Barbara Streisand said, “People need people.” This quote is a proven fact for me. I thrive in social settings filled to the brim with community. Being around others, especially those who I love most, is paramount to my perception of hope. I’m thankful this necessity is a fixed part of my personality. No matter how many times I deny it, my extroverted behavior pays off in spades.

Editor: Lucy Cafiero