Your One Wild and Precious Life: Reclaiming Presence in a Noisy World
Wanting to Be Seen?
We live in a world where everything is documented, posted, and shared in real time. From what we eat for breakfast to our workouts, our planning routines, and even our pain—there’s this constant urge to be witnessed. How many Instagram videos have you seen of someone crying? How many have you posted?
This isn’t about shaming that impulse. It’s about gently calling attention to something deeper: the human desire to beseen, heard, and known.
To Be Heard
I was out with friends last night at one of those trendy restaurants—the kind where the music is so loud you have to shout just to speak to the person beside you. That all-too-familiar feeling crept in:I’m not being heard.
It hit my nervous system like a wave, tempting me to shut down. Why work so hard to be heard in a world that’s so loud?
And isn’t that where many of us find ourselves today? We’re constantly surrounded by noise—opinions, commentary, hot takes—and yet, there’s very little actual listening.
Yes, your voice matters. Yes, you deserve to express how you feel. But are you alsolistening? Are you making space to tune in—to your own body, thoughts, experiences, and to those around you?
It’s easy to fill our days with constant stimulation—music, podcasts, social scrolls, even sleep stories. But without quiet, we lose the ability to process. We lose the depth that comes with truly hearing ourselves and others.
To Be Seen
Let’s be honest—it feels strange not to document a beautifully plated meal or a cute coffee shop moment. It’s second nature now: snap, filter, post.
And yet, I wonder if in our quest to share everything, we’ve started to lose the sacredness of our own experience.
We arewiredfor connection—neurologically, emotionally, socially. So it makes sense that a quick post can spark a hit of belonging:Someone sees me. My life matters.
But often, that connection fades fast. And suddenly, we’re reaching for the next post, the next moment, the next opportunity to be seen... all while missing out onlivingour own lives.
Have we developed a fear—not of missing out onothers’lives—but of missing out on ourown?
Photos are powerful. They help us remember the walks, the dinners, the beautiful moments. But if we're only focused on the photo and not the experience—did we really live it?
To Be Known
At our core, we want to beknown. We crave that rooted, grounded sense of belonging—of being held in someone’s memory and heart.
Maybe that’s why we keep turning up the volume—trying to be louder, flashier, more visible—hoping to create connection, even if it’s curated or filtered.
But despite all this visibility, many of us feel more lonely, anxious, and disconnected than ever. Being “more connected” doesn’t always mean we actuallyfeelconnected.
To be truly known is something else entirely. It’s someone bringing you your favorite coffee just because. It’s the small gift from a trip that says,I thought of you.It’s having space held for you in your most vulnerable moments—without judgment or expectation.
That kind of connection calms the nervous system in a way no post, like, or podcast ever could. It’s like finding water in a desert.
So Now What?
The need to be seen, heard, and known isn’t going anywhere. These are basic human needs. But the ways we’re trying to meet them? They’re often not working.
Here are some gentle shifts you can explore:
1.Create More Silence
We often drown out loneliness with noise—but too much noise distances us from our own inner world.
Try introducing quiet in simple ways:
Choose one silent commute per week—no music or podcasts.
Go for a walk or run without earbuds.
Work in silence (yes, even without that comfort show in the background).
Eat a meal with instrumental music—or none at all.
Go to a coffee shop and leave your headphones at home.
Practice listening for both the loudest and softest sounds in your environment.
2.Start Seeing the World
We’re visually overstimulated—but often disconnected from what we’re trulyseeing.
Try this:
Keep your phone in your pocket while standing in line—notice textures, colors, faces.
Before photographing your food, take it in with your eyes. Notice details before the click.
Each day, notice one new thing on your commute.
Look at people. Reallyseethem.
Find a scenic view, and stay with it for 10 full minutes. Don’t take a photo. Just be there.
3.Know Yourself
Socrates said,“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.”When we know ourselves, we stop outsourcing our worth. We meet our own needs. We find true belonging.
Try:
A guided body scan meditation to reconnect with your body.
Tracking your rhythms and noticing what truly supports you (not what social media saysshould).
Getting curious about your emotions. What brings joy? What fuels anxiety? What’s behind that anger?
Noticing your self-talk throughout the day.
Trying something new. See what it stirs in you.
This life is hard—but it’s also breathtakingly beautiful. You don’t have to be ruled by overstimulation or performative connection. You canchoosea new way.
If you’re feeling lonely, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, maybe it’s time to explore what it means to truly beseen, heard, and known.
Like Mary Oliver asks:
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Want to Go Deeper?
If this resonates with you and you're ready to explore what being seen, heard, and known could look like in your life, I’d love to connect.
Use this link, to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call. Let’s explore how we can work together to start your belonging journey.
