In the race to become more efficient, we forgot each other.

Remember the African Proverb? “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

It’s incredible to think about how “connected” we are in 2026, and yet many of us have never felt more alone.

We sit in rooms together while staring at separate screens. We scroll past each other’s highest highs “highlight reels” and we also scroll past their vulnerability and pain.

We outsource conversation, encouragement, creativity, even companionship. I’ve seen the articles and talked to people saying “yeah, I call my mom way less now because I just use AI. Yeah, I ask AI about all my problems I don’t want to burden people with…” Burden?? Who said you were a burden??

You are a blessing not a burden.

Getting to help people feel seen and to feel seen ourselves is one of the greatest gifts humans can receive.

We are learning how to prompt machines while forgetting how to understand people. Period. Full stop. Read it again please.

Efficiency has become our highest value. We wear it as a badge of honor. Faster replies (not going to lie, I actually had to slow myself down typing this because I am so conditioned to move as fast as possible.) Faster content. Faster growth. Faster production.

So in this race we are all running we want to move QUICK! I hear you. However, human connection was never meant to move at machine speed. YOU are not a machine.

Real relationships require presence, care, deep attention, patience, a willingness to be interrupted.

Somewhere along the way we stopped taking time to see each other.

The trail is where I experience people in the most raw form. They aren’t on their devices, they look up, offer a smile and typically say hello.

Yesterday, I was in Marin County and on a gorgeous trail in Mt. Tamalpais (come hike with me sometime — I would love for you to join me.)

I did something wild! I took off my shoes. I wanted to FEEL the mud between my toes. I wanted the most earthly reminder of my humanness. I am not a machine propped up on a sit/stand desk. I am a human. I need to remember how to be one.

I realized that the practice of See. Praise. Serve. (if you read this far…that’s a hint for my upcoming book!) is not just a leadership framework to me anymore. It actually feels like resistance against becoming cold. It’s a resistance against treating people like interruptions and against confusing productivity with purpose.

The future will belong to those who remember how to love while everyone else is learning how to optimize.

And maybe the most important thing we can do right now is this: Look up.

Notice each other again.

Take your feet out of your shoes and put them on the earth’s floor.

And remember what it means to be human.