It’s incredible the potential for connection the internet offers, but as hyperconnected as we are, we are ironically more lonely than ever. If you are feeling lonely today, I invite you to consider this thought experiment:

If you could only have one, which would you choose, to love or to be loved? Which is more important?

We have so many conceptions of what love is, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. In What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong sings:

I see friends shaking hands, saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying, “I love you”

The most simple acts of connection, like just showing up for someone and being present, can be a powerful expression of love. What would it shift for you to express love in this way?

Think of someone who you’ll see today or who you can reach out to. Ask them, “How are you?” and then “No really, how are you today?” Just listen without trying to change anything for them or offer solutions. Notice and reflect on what shifts for you.