Émile Zola's Insight

"We're like books. 

Most people only see our cover, a minority only reads the introduction, and many people believe the reviews. 

Few will ever know our content."

~~ Èmile Zola

Do these insights ring true for you? 

They do for me. 

I know that very very few people really know my content - who I really am. I am willing, but others seem too busy being busy to spend some of their time to get to know me, or other people in their lives, people whose content is worth fully knowing.

On the other hand, I think I do not know many people, though not for lack of trying. I do make attempts to know them, to share, to show I care, to display my love. 

But so many are closed off. Why? Fear of being known? Fear of being hurt? 

Why?

I wish it were not so, this closing off of human connection. I wish we could all be brave and honest and sincere enough to dive deeply, to grapple with life's questions, to pick each other's minds for the gems within. We could grow and know each other. The result would be connection and trust and confidence and wisdom.

It would build warm community and affection.

Knowing each other is what gives meaning to life and life to meaning.

Sadly, I think Zola is correct. 

"Peu connaîtront notre contenu." 

Few will ever know our content. 

Find your courage. Open up. Discard the fakery of trying to impress people with a fantasy version of yourself, with a made up lifestyle, an untrue history.

Open up to a friend, read the pages of their soul, learn their content. Then share your own.

Be real. Be humble. Be you.

Enrichment will follow.