Episode 119: Love is Forever, Sorrow is Temporary

Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero, and in this time of COVID— and I'm wondering when you listen to this episode whether or not COVID is still around or what version or whatever— I think this is an amazing point in time. But let me ask you something. In this time, we're all hurting. And all this time, in this time We all have such deep thoughts, some thoughts that rip us apart. Thoughts about people who have been suffering during this period, thoughts about ourselves, how much we've been suffering. We've been suffering mentally due to the isolation. Many of you haven't had a chance to be by yourself in years, maybe decades, and you've started to think these thoughts that are heavy that you know you should have thought, but you haven't prioritized it. And now you're wondering, who am I? You're isolated and broken because you look at yourself now and you said, you know, I should have started that regime, that training regime, or eating better when this whole thing started. Who am I? You start doing the I should haves. And you're beating yourself up. You know, people who are sick, your heart is broken. This is such a heavy time, a heavy period. So much going on, so many feelings that are indescribable. I cannot remember a time in which so many things have happened that the English language fails me. I have a decent grasp of this language, but I actually realize that some cultures have 50 different words to describe snow, or 30 different words to describe rain. And that is because some of the things we take for granted in life are so complex that it's almost so impossible to describe what it feels like, like Sorrow. When someone you know is hurting, when someone you love is in pain, how do you describe that? How do you describe the pain that you're in? Is there any word in any language that could describe how you feel? I think the most important thing— that not the most important thing, but we got to start by just saying, I'm in pain, and I don't have to use words to describe it. Words fail. Words— as soon as you say a word— words are powerful. When they— you say the word, it brings it to life, and that's powerful. But what you're going through cannot be described. And I want to let you know you're not alone. Yesterday I reached out to some friends of mine. I call them my family. They're not family by blood, but they're family by love. And I haven't reached out to them in a long time because going through a difficult time now. Just like you guys and girls. We're all going through something difficult. And stupid me did not reach out to people who I knew loved me and I loved them. And I finally did. It's been many, many years. And I got the love back without hesitation, without question. I think all of us We need to be nicer to ourselves and just reach out to people who are there. Reach out to people just because you need to reach out. We're all here for each other. The more days go by, the more broken I see people are— things are actually not getting better. So what I want you to do is take it upon yourself to take care of yourself, but also for now to take care of others. And just simply, like in the morning, this morning I went for a walk and I said good morning to as many people as I could. I thought that's one way of taking care of people. Whether or not they respond, it did not matter, but it's me giving them a form of love. Saying hi to people, I think these little things that are most important things now because we're all beginning to break, or we already broke. At this moment right now, I don't have a fix, but I do have a method, and that method is to be the shining light in a dark room, to be that thought when no thoughts are possible to come up, and to be that hug that you need when there's no one around. I love you all, and I feel the pain. A colleague of mine, his father passed away. He's from Belgium. He couldn't get to his father because of COVID He's in another country. I can't imagine what that's like. There are stories upon stories. There's things happening in India now that are just indescribable. Again, words fail. Can anything describe the feeling of losing someone? Can anything describe the feeling of your loved ones being sick, of your dog or cat being sick? I mean, Take care of each other is my message. My reflection in my heart is strong because I'm seeing what's going on, and the problem is that I'm feeling it, and I feel your pain. And now, as we all— as things slightly open up, but COVID will never go away, let's remember that. Even though you will be going back to work, it still remains there. The potential to be sick, the potential of lockdown, the potential, the potential, potential. It will never go away. But I want you to think about this. This is really important. As you go back to your office, as you go back to your cubicle, to your desk, you go back to your warehouse, you go back to your service truck, wherever you're going, back to your cash register, whatever job you got, your law firm, your whatever. Go back being a better version of you. Go back being that bright star. Go back being that enthusiastic, energetic, magnificent, magnetic person who, when they walk down the halls, people are so happy you showed up for work. This is your moment. This is what we need. This is what everyone needs. And do not fake. Do not fake walking into your office or into your desk or your cash register or your car or van or whatever. Don't fake going, "Yeah, I'm okay, it's time to go back to work." That's bull. Be you. Be you, the shining version of you. My heart goes out to everybody out there, all you who are feeling what I feel. I'm not afraid to talk about it because I see it, and I see you, and I feel you. Enjoy the bike rides you go, enjoy the walks you go, enjoy the time you sit down with friends and maybe have a drink. It is wonderful and was what all we should be doing much more often. From now on, let's all get social. If you have no one to be social with, pick up a phone, call someone. When you're at work, talk to more people. If you're not at work, go to a park, walk around, go to your favorite place, and you see other people at your favorite place and just tell the— just go to that person and say, "Isn't this beautiful?" And you start a conversation. There are so many lonely people who want to talk to you. So go to your favorite place, smile at someone, and just say, "Isn't this beautiful?" And lo and behold, you'll have a new friend. Go forth and spread beauty and light. Feel. Love. Exist. That. It's a way to live a life. This is Thomas Anglero thinking about you, because sometimes you're afraid to think about yourself. But I think about you because I can feel your innermost feelings. And I'm going to tell you something about you. You're okay. You really are. Being in pain, being in sorrow, being sad is normal. It's horrible, but you're gonna be okay. I love you. And if you ever need to hear those words again, just rewind. I love you. I truly do. Take care of yourself. Until next time. Thank you for listening to that episode. If you want to contact me, you can contact me on my website at anglero.com, and you can also subscribe to the newsletter. Or you can find me anywhere on social media with Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Thank you so much, and I hope to hear from you very soon.