See with the heart because we’re all emotionally connected
Hi, I’m Adithya, and welcome to weless. If you enjoy Tim Ferriss with an Islamic twist (sometimes not), you’ll probably like this newsletter.
What’s missing from the world?
The ability to see each other with the heart, not just the eyes.
This means seeing everyone equally with equal love, without judgment.
I often find myself judging others by their status or their LinkedIn profiles. Last Sunday, at a convenience store near my in-laws' house, I saw this cashier lady and thought she was less than me. I felt I was smarter, wealthier, and a more worthy human being than she was.
Every time I do that, a small part of my heart rots, darkens, and shrinks.
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell described seeing Earth from 384,633 km away as a transformative experience. From there, Earth is just a blue dot. From up there, Earth’s problems seem trivial.
Wars between countries, even though we share the same planet? Refusing to say Merry Christmas because of religious differences? Racial generalizations? One race is labeled stingy, another harsh, another as terrorists, while ours is superior.
Not only do we share the environment, but we also share our emotions. Think about something you love—a loved one, an item, or an experience. Relive the warmth. Everyone—Javanese, Papuan, Caucasian, thugs, corruptors, clerics, YouTubers, millennials, Gen-Z, rich, poor, celebrities, athletes, comedians—has felt that feeling.
The same goes for sadness, jealousy, disappointment, anger. No matter how bad we feel now, someone else has felt it too.
This connection links us not only to each other but also to every human who has ever lived, from Muhammad to Jay Z.
Recognizing that we are emotionally connected helps us empathize more and appreciate each other.
One exercise I try to do every day is to take public transportation and see everyone with my heart. I catch my mind before it starts judging and use my heart to try loving whatever I see. I accept everyone and everything as noble, equal creations.
More of a body experience than the mind. I wish I could describe this better.
Let's learn to see with our hearts, rise above our superficial differences, and embrace our emotional unity.
We’re in this together.
Love everyone, everything.
Thanks to Meryl Rowlands, Anne Marie Bell, and Karina Sengupta for reading and providing feedback on this piece. Heart to you all.
Thank you for reading.
Let’s keep the weless going.
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