I grew up in a community where everyone in our street and the next knew each other. Our immediate neighbors were closer to us, but we also knew the children who lived 10 or 12 houses away. What the neighborhood provided us with, as children, and to my parents as adults, was hardly any alone time. We always had people around us. 😊

Relationships are built gradually and require time. When we meet someone for the first time, we are careful about what we say to them. We do not share anything deep and will mostly discuss politics, sports, or the weather. Once we get to know the other person and decide to be friends, we will reveal our opinions, likes, and dislikes. This is the healthy way to build trust and become friends. Just like any good habit, such as exercising and eating healthy, building and maintaining friendships takes focused effort and care.

Today, we live in a world more digitally connected than ever, and yet it seems that all of us, our young ones in particular, have become lonelier than we ever were. Smartphones and endless screen time cannot be a substitute for genuine interactions. Knowing people on social media cannot replace friendships built over time and tested through the good and the bad. People who spend most of their time in front of screens tend to be lonelier and anxious, which can lead to depression eventually.

So, how do we change things? It is possible, but we need to be more mindful and present. We need to establish routines that foster physical connection, reach out to people we may have lost touch with, put away our phones, and give the people we are with our undivided attention.

Most importantly, we should embrace vulnerability and, instead of trying to be the perfect person all the time, allow our messy selves to be seen by those we feel close to.

Much as I would like to, I am not sure if we can ever return to that neighborhood community; so much else has changed. But I do feel that we need to push back against the rise of screen time and rediscover the power of being together. Because the answer to the loneliness epidemic is not out there in the virtual world. It is here, in the physical, everyday act of interacting with real people.

As someone who spent at least a couple of decades trying to balance career success and personal growth, I have seen how work identity can consume a person!

It becomes even more complicated when some of us associate our work with an internal calling. When your work feels divinely inspired, it is easy to mistakenly perceive your career as an extension of your truest self.

This often arises from a fear of inadequacy, the anxiety of not being seen or valued, or the belief that we are not good enough to succeed.

However, true fulfilment comes when we cease to define ourselves by what we do and begin to define ourselves by who we are. The best that we can do for ourselves is to take time out for introspection, emotional connection, building strong relationships, and creating happiness outside of the workplace.

When we cultivate a balanced life beyond our work, we are less impacted by the inevitable career rollercoaster we all experience.

It is possible to reclaim our identity, but only if we step back and ponder the deeper question: Who am I without my business card? The more we acknowledge that our legacy is not about amassing titles and wealth but about creating meaning in our lives and the lives of others, the happier we will feel 😊