“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued….”
-Brené Brown
Dear Friends,
At the gym I go to, there’s a Glutes + Core class every Sunday.
I’ve never attended.
Partly because it’s almost all women, and I might feel self-conscious. Partly because it seems intimidating
The class takes place in a glass-walled room, while I’m usually outside lifting weights with the guys. Most of us have our headphones on and rarely say more than a nod.
But inside that glass room, it’s different. They’re moving together, working hard—and at the end, there’s this beautiful celebration: high fives, hugs, smiles, laughter.
I wonder some times what it would be like to be in the class with them.
Sometimes I go to the beach, not for the ocean, but to witness people playing—kids building sandcastles, friends tossing frisbees. The joy is palpable.
I sense that I’m not alone. Connection is contagious.
FINDING CONNECTION
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former U.S. Surgeon General who will be joining us virtually at Wisdom 2.0 2025, said that while on a college tour many young people told him that they didn’t know how to have a conversation with another person.
Where do they begin? How do they do it?
But I think we are all asking this: How do we support human connection?
Possibly the invitation is simple: next time we’re in line at a store or waiting somewhere—can we resist the urge to pull out our phones?
Can we look up, see the people around us, even if we do not talk to anyone?
After all, we are all a part of the same star dust. As Ram Dass liked to say, “We’re all just walking each other home.”
And maybe one of these days, I will go join that exercise class!
In the Wisdom 2.0 world, Wisdom 2.0 2025: Disruption is about 3 weeks away … and join us with David Simas this Friday.
Blessings,
SOREN
Wisdom 2.0 2025: DISRUPTION
May 5th & 6th Bay Area + Online
Join us with leaders in Wisdom, AI, Social Change, and more.
There’s something so gently courageous about this reflection, Soren. The image of you outside with the guys, watching the joy and connection bloom through a glass wall, feels like a perfect metaphor for how many of us experience modern life—so close, yet somehow still outside.
What struck me most is your question: “How do we support human connection?” I think your answer—resisting the phone, noticing each other, choosing to witness joy—is deceptively simple and deeply wise.
Thank you for modeling vulnerability and reminding us that sometimes the most profound form of wisdom is just choosing to step inside the room, even if we’re the only one without matching leggings.
"Build Your Life As If It Were a Work Of Art" 🔯 The livable wisdom of the great Abraham Joshua Heschel: https://tinyurl.com/5h8mcrjk