We have many options for talking with people every day. And on the surface, most of us are social. But many of us still are missing something.

We’re missing genuine connection, those real moments when we’re truly heard as a person and seen for who we are: a real person with emotions, hopes, struggles, and all those messy things that make us great and wonderful.

I started HearMe because there’s a transcendence that comes from being truly heard, seen and validated by another human being. Being seen for who we really are, as a whole person, without judgment. There aren’t many opportunities for this magical connection in daily life, but it is silly because we’re surrounded by people every day who also are yearning for these things. So I helped build a platform for making these connections possible whenever we need them.

The Benefits of Being Heard

There are powerful benefits from the simple act of being heard and seen.

Sharing what is on our mind or in our heart, whether it is something we’ve been struggling with or just random observations, creates the space for us being authentically ourselves. Letting ourselves be human beings, not just goal-oriented producers, is a radical and freeing act of self-love. We let ourselves be human.

By talking and having another person just listen and empathize, we also free ourselves from the thoughts and struggles swirling around inside of us. We let it out. We work through our stuff by talking to someone and being allowed to talk freely. This is liberating, and it creates a clearness of thought. It also makes us feel happier.

Then there is the subtle benefit of talking and being heard: connection. When we share and someone actually listens, there is connection. Real connection. A human sharing the experience of life with another human being.

Something magical happens in this space where two people are connecting. We feel contentment, inner peace, joy. We can buy a new car or eat the best meal in the city, but the emotional benefits and wellbeing from a simple conversation where we are heard far surpasses what we get from these other things.

That’s because connection is what it means to be human.

Hear Me, I Am Human

There is a brilliant philosopher, Martin Buber, who once wrote that “a person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human is what this individual person has been created for.”

That is another way of saying that the most important part of life, what really matters, is already in us as part of our humanity. The goal is not being perfect or getting beyond ourselves, it is being real to ourselves as a human being. That’s the goal. That’s what this life is about.

Connecting and sharing the experience of life, taking the journey with others, is an elemental part of being human. It is in our DNA, and any anthropologist will tell you that. We’re born into this need for real connection with others, and that’s why talking and being heard creates transcendence and feelings that are far beyond what we might expect.

This idea animates me because I feel it in my gut. Yet I’m someone who naturally is withdrawn and on the depressive side, so this idea also challenges me. I know I should be sharing my life with others and opening myself up, but it is painful and hard. I don’t always know where to turn, I don’t always feel understood or safe enough to share myself. Going out there and building those opportunities for authentic sharing can be hard.

So what if every time I wanted to connect or get something off my chest I could? What if I didn’t spend so much time trying to figure out WHO to talk with, and I actually spent the time talking with someone in real-time? How would that impact my life?

Imagine what it would be like going through your day “unstuck” and not trapped in the bad habits and routines that were holding you back and making you miserable. Think about what it would be like to get something off your chest in a safe way and feel heard. Feel understood and seen. What would it be like to feel fully human and be able to start those conversations with a touch of a button on your phone?

Those were the questions that gave birth to HearMe, a platform where each of us can connect and share with another human being who will listen and empathize.

I built the platform for me. I built it for you. I built it for the humanity in all of us yearning to get out and be authentic and real, to share the journey.

What HearMe does is simple and basic. It isn’t a complex idea. But I do think it is profound. It is what being human is all about.