I recognize that I am experiencing more loneliness because of the current state of the world…I am experiencing more disconnection…I really don’t like the feeling of loneliness…Because the feeling of loneliness is more than just what I am feeling at this moment….Loneliness feels like it’s a statement about my life…It’s not that I’m just alone in this moment…But it says that I’m disconnected from others…It’s very easy for me to turn that sense of disconnection into feeling like I am not good enough…Into feeling I am not valuable enough…Into feeling that people don’t like me…Into feeling like it is always going to be like this…As much as it is no fun to feel lonely…I give myself permission to feel it right now…Not because I want to feel lonely…But instead to honor the emotion…Loneliness wants me to be connected…Loneliness wants me to be loved…Loneliness wants me to be valued…It is pointing out my sense of disconnection…I’m aware of that sense of disconnection…I’m aware of my desire and my need to be connected to others…Not because I’m weak, but because I’m human…And humans are made to be connected to others…Even in these unique times…It is possible for me to be able to create a sense of connection…To be able to create a sense of belonging…I am worthy of connection…I am worthy of belonging…Just because I can’t feel that right now…It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t experience it at all…I give myself permission to remember the times in the past where I have felt connected…I can cultivate that again…I give myself permission to know that reaching out and connecting with others…Does not require me to make a complete connection right now….Instead, a simple first step can make a difference…Instead, remembering I am not alone will help that connection…I am part of the whole…even though it doesn’t feel like that in this moment…I give myself permission to recognize the possibility of connection…I give myself permission to allow that connection to happen in big and in small ways.