This Is What Being Human Really Feels Like

I imagine there are times when you feel afraid, overwhelmed, and drowning in self-doubt. Maybe you’ve found yourself out with friends or acquaintances, secretly wondering if you really belong, feeling like the odd one out, the weirdo, the outsider. And chances are, sometimes you worry that if people knew the stupid thoughts swirling in your head, they’d run for the hills.

On occasion, there are moments when you’re in a crowded room and feel completely invisible, and you know deep down that’s a you perception problem, not a them problem. Every so often, self-doubt tries to overwhelm you, and trusting others feels terrifying. Trusting yourself? Sometimes even harder. Yet despite it all, you still crave connection and love—even if part of you hesitates to reach out for it.

Some nights, you lie awake in bed scolding yourself for wasting too much time that day doing nothing, all in the name of “self-care.” Other days, you wake up brimming with confidence and energy, ready to move mountains and set the world on fire. Yet there are still mornings when you don’t even know where to start—or if you can at all.

Even at (almost) age 60, that is me. And maybe it’s you, too. And do you know what? That’s okay. Because that is what being human really feels like.