June 13, 2026- The complete human experience

A man wrapped up in himself, makes a very small parcel.

~John Ruskin

The space within us is marvelous. We can experience so much by letting our brains wander, uninhibited by convention, by the judgment of others. We can experience so much by being present in our own bodies, becoming aware of all the sensations of being alive, free of the constant distraction or disruption of the world around us.

To take the full depth and breadth of the human experience, however, we must not be constantly wrapped up in ourselves. We can’t choose to ignore how much is going on around us. We can’t steer away from learning about the perspective of others, of empathy and compassion. The connection we need to be fully human happens on multiple pathways. We must be willing to connect to our own feelings, our own needs, our own desires, our own dreams. We also must be able to connect to our surroundings, to the sights, sounds, smells, and feels of our environment, to the people we encounter.

We don’t have to choose. We have time to pay attention to ourselves and to the world around us. To ignore either is to deny ourselves the full human experience.

Let’s be willing to experience it all. Let’s listen to what’s going on inside and out. Let’s consider them both valid. Let’s have the complete human experience.