The other day I was on YouTube doing my usual time wasting (ok, let’s call it ‘entertainment’), going down the rabbit hole of endless content. I was checking out some Louis CK stand-up and a video of an appearance he did on Conan not too long ago popped up on the related videos pane. I had seen it when it aired, but had completely forgotten about it. This is undoubtedly one of the most truthful and poignant things I had ever seen, and to think, it came from a stand-up comic/writer (homeboy is brilliant in his own right). Not to take anything away from comics, but this type of profound knowledge dropping usually comes from philosophers. But then again, there are comics out there who are masters at dissecting and analyzing the current state of affairs within our society (shout out to George Carlin!).

Anyhow, I have included a link to the video below for reference. The main topic of the video is loneliness and how we do anything possible to avoid it and suppress it. He talks about how we are constantly on our phones trying to avoid loneliness (mentioning that nowadays everyone you see driving is on their phones). They provide us with a quick and easy escape in the form of being able to reach out to numerous people all at once in order to get some kind of interaction going. It’s all fine and dandy to be in constant contact with others, but there are times when you will need to just feel that existential dread, those moments of inherent sadness, the feeling of emptiness. Just let it ride out even if it is uncomfortable.

I have always told people that without lows, there are no highs. You need the balance to be able to fully feel either of those. The lower you go, the more you appreciate all of the highs. It makes life a little more fulfilling because you start to appreciate all of the little things. You can find happiness in the ordinary instead of being in a perpetual state of waiting for these grand moments that you’ve been told were the true definition of happiness. Just like when people are living in the future, thinking that they will be happy when they achieve or receive a certain thing, that then leads to anxiety (as you read this you are already in the future, whoa!). You have to appreciate the moment, the people and things around you right now. See the beauty in the little things. The thing is, that I say “the thing is” a lot, ha! But you catch my drift right?

To circle back and conclude this post before I go down the rabbit hole any further. Whenever you are by yourself and you feel the need to reach out to someone immediately get over the loneliness, stop! Put the phone down and let the feelings hit you like a tidal wave. As time passes, you will get better at dealing with it, trust me. You will be connecting with yourself on a deeper level, thus becoming more self-aware and appreciative of everything. The world needs more of that. You got this!