Come on, let’s start talking again. lifeschool.co.in /lsm/come-lets-start-talking/

Dearest Friends,

People need people to talk to; they need people they can opentheir hearts to;people need people to hold hands and feelstrong; they need people who can hold them and let them cry.

I am not talking about a romanticized partner or a bollywoodisedfriend. I am not even talking about families or counsellors. I amjust talking about people. Just anyone.

We really do not realize how badly people need a release. Iwork with people and I work on myself. And I know howimportant conversations are.

We, as a society, really have no idea how suffocated people arein their emotions. Most people have nobody to expressthemselves entirely to. Everyone is holding back theirvulnerabilities to maintain the social image of a confident andhappy person.

Heart-to-heart conversations have become rare, artificial and shallow. And most hearts are filled with emptydefences.

Most people can’t even talk to their life-partners openly for the fear of being judged or rejected. Emotions await just arelease. Social images make sure weakness is not glorified.

Children have bottled up stress. Young people suffer anxiety and depression.

It is just lack of social support. It is lack of non-judgmental friendships. It is result of fast and busy lives wherenobody has time to just sit and watch someone cry. It is result of instant and impatient lifestyle practices, thatemotions have started feeling like waste of time.

We have whatsapp and facetime and social media – and we have stress and anxiety and depression.

Our forefathers had neither. Because they talked to each other. Because talking helps.

The face-to-face type talking,

the just-listen-to-me type talking,

the hold-my-hand-and-let-me-cry type talking,

the sit-next-to-me-and-listen-to-my-silence type talking…

the talking where the person can be themselves and say anything they feel without the fear of any judgement or lossor rejection.

Today we don’t like that type of talking. Those conversations when someone begins to undress one’s mind, feelawkward. We don’t ever want them. In fact we avoid them. And so, mental illness is epidemic. Naturally.

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There is not much we can do. But we can offer a listening. We can be the people someone can just come over andtalk to. We can be the people someone can just cry in front of. We can help people free themselves from the prisonof their own minds.

Let’s be the go-to person for someone. Let’s learn to be friends with the friendless. Let’s let people talk without anyfear. Let’s create conversations.

Come on, let’s start talking again.

Loads of Love,Valentine Shipley

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