Are you tired of feeling alone and unheard, even when you have people and opportunities for connection in your life? I know I was. That’s why I decided to unplug and disconnect from the outside world for a month. It was a shocking and eye-opening experience that made me question the value of my relationships and why I was putting in so much effort without receiving the same in return. But through this journey, I learned the importance of taking responsibility for my own happiness and actively communicating my needs. Click here to discover how I transformed my relationships and found a greater sense of connection and fulfillment.

It’s been a year since I completely shut down from the world around me. I felt overwhelmed by the angry and ruthless society we live in, where it seems like everyone is only thinking about themselves and seeking attention through social media. I had so many people around me, so many opportunities to connect, but I still felt incredibly alone.

I considered myself someone who was always positive and saw possibilities, but I found myself feeling lost and disconnected. I had traveled all over the world, accomplished a lot, but at that moment, none of that seemed to matter. I didn’t know who to call to feel heard and I broke down in tears.

In that moment of emotion, I decided to test my world and see what would happen if I went offline for a month. I stopped exercising, stayed in bed all day, and disconnected from technology and the outside world. I made sure to take care of myself by cooking healthy meals, reading, and writing, but when I returned to my phone after a month, I was shocked to find that nobody had tried to reach out to me. It was an incredibly quiet and isolating experience.

For a month, no one had bothered to check in on me and it hurt. I was angry and disappointed, but it also gave me some insights. Why was I wasting so much energy on people who could give me the silent treatment without a second thought? But despite this realization, I still wanted to give them another chance. I asked them why they didn’t occasionally check in on me, hoping to understand their perspective.

Many of them had excuses that I didn’t think were valid, and it became clear to me that I had created a community where I had to be explicit in my requests for support in order to feel heard. I began to question the value of these relationships if I couldn’t rely on them, but I also recognized that not everyone can read between the lines and sometimes a direct request for help is necessary.

If I want or need something, it’s up to me to communicate that and make it known. I can’t expect people to know what’s going on in my head or to always read between the lines. I realized that my happiness is my own responsibility and this was a difficult pill to swallow, especially because I felt like I had done everything right and others were falling short.

But the funny thing is that I’m always clear with others about asking for their needs, yet I struggled to do the same for myself and make my needs known to others. I thought others would ask me the same question, but if they don’t and I don’t feel heard, I have to take the initiative myself. I used to blame others for my unhappiness, but when I started to communicate my needs, there was a shift in my relationships.

The people in my life are still the same, with their imperfections, but now there is a greater understanding and willingness to work on our issues. This has allowed for deeper layers of connection in friendships that I didn’t even know existed. Some people will rise to the occasion and some won’t, but it becomes clear what needs to be done. I no longer have to wait and see what the world will do to me, it’s up to me to decide whether I let my light shine or not. It’s not about how “bad” others are, it’s about the choices I make for myself.

I used to think that if I just did everything right, everything would fall into place and I would be happy. But I’ve learned that happiness isn’t something that just happens to you, it’s something that you have to actively create and cultivate. It