When I read those lines from Maisa, I felt normal. Those feelings that she shared – I can relate to at certain points in my life. And when I read it, a strong connection was formed between me and Maisa – a stranger whom I have never met.

Isn’t it striking that we, as humans, often feel isolated in our feelings, thoughts, and struggles? And only until we hear them from others do those thoughts and feelings get normalized. Loneliness, fear of failure, self-criticism, and being stuck in capitalism’s death grip on daily life – we all share them as members of the human family.

If you have been listening to Quebec radio lately, there’s an ad about cyberbullying that says something like, “People are going online and expressing hatred and violence while forgetting that behind the screen is another human being. I’m a robot, so I can say this. I don’t have a heart, but you do.”

The message seems to be true across so many different issues going on in our society nowadays, such as racism, discrimination, social injustice, and polarization. This is a consequence of our failure to live up to the acknowledgement that all peoples of the earth share a common humanity, despite our diverse backgrounds, cultures, and individual differences.

When I first learned about The Loneliness Project, I wished to see more initiatives like this coming out. But perhaps what is truly needed is for us to disconnect from technology a bit and reconnect to people present in our lives – to be a bit more vulnerable and to learn to create a safe space for others to do the same.

This week, instead of questions and tools, I would love for you to listen to this song. Listen carefully to the lyrics. For me, it delivers such a powerful message on how to be emotionally supportive and a good mental health ally.