E01: Islands & Connections: Are We Truly Alone?

Welcome to the very first episode of my podcast! I'm Alvat Garewal, and after much thought—and a little encouragement from friends—I've decided to dive into the podcast world.

Here, I aim to explore thought-provoking ideas and perspectives that may spark something new in you. Today, we’ll reflect on the intriguing concept of connection, inspired by the phrases 'we are all islands' and 'no man is an island.'

Are we truly alone, or are we deeply interconnected? Let’s dive into this paradox together. I hope you'll join me on this journey of discovery.

About me:
My name is Alvat Garewal, and I’m a musician and music producer with over 40 years of experience in creating and sharing music. Beyond music, I’m also a businessman with extensive experience in the photographic industry. I’m passionate about sports like squash, badminton, and snooker, and I have a love for thought-provoking films, particularly thrillers and sci-fi. 

A family-oriented person at heart, I find inspiration in the people around me—friends, family, and everyday interactions—and I strive to see the positives, even in life’s challenges. This outlook fuels everything I do, and I’m excited to share my thoughts and experiences with you.

Transcript

Islands

welcome to my podcast. My name is Alvat Garewal.

This is my very first podcast. I have contemplated the idea of a podcast for sometime, and now have been persuaded by friends to start.

I have thought long and hard about what I can add to the world of podcasts that is not already out there. Maybe it’s not always what is said but in which light or which way it’s said or conveyed that can ring a bell. There are always things to contemplate and things to say, some new and some old. Some you may have already heard and some things that may start you thinking.

I’m sure you will let me know either way. You may even want to switch off, you may want to listen on, I hope you do stay with me and I will try and bring my perspective to life.

So let's start with today’s thought.

I’ve recently heard someone in a film I was watching say “we are all islands”. Meaning that we are all alone and individuals. This made me think of the saying “no man is an island”.

Now how do I make sense of both of these statements? Is one of them correct and the other one wrong? If so, which one?

Are they both correct? How?

Does each of these depend on the situation they are used in?

My take is that they can both be correct and incorrect.

Let’s take “we are all islands”.

Yes we are all alone in and within ourselves. As soon as we come into this world, we are an individual person. We start thinking. Maybe very primitive thoughts and the strongest thing within us is hunger, survival. We need feeding. We cry for food. When fed we sleep. There is no other factor in life at that point.

As we grow older our thinking increases and we start interacting with others more and more and then we start to realise a sense of socialising.

Even with all these things we are still in a way trapped within ourselves, no one really can ever know what we are thinking unless we choose to share. Even with sharing we never ever completely give out all our information. So in this way we are islands. Each island can see another island, talk to another island, even touch and smell. What we can’t do is join with another mind, unless we know Spock's mind melding trick, that’s a Star Trek reference by the way.

So “no man is an island”.

I would say this is also true. If you imagine that an island is surrounded by water, but if you go deeper then you realise that there is ground underneath and it is connected to all the other islands around.

So in this way, I think that everyone on this planet is connected in some way or another. Our roots are all intertwined with others. We can feel the pain, the joy, the love of others. Humanity is an incredible force that needs to grow and flourish. We need to increase the energy between all of us and let’s feel it above all the individual noise that seems to take over. Even though there may be a separation between us all, we can still use our senses to speak,listen and feel. There is an even stronger sense, a sense which can feel the feelings of others.

So in conclusion, what I'm trying to say is that although we are very much individuals in our own minds and thoughts, we are all still connected. We should not feel alone, we can join together with our friends, family and even people we don't know. We can also try and help others who may be feeling lonely by talking, smiling and just being there. Just a smile and a hello can change another person’s whole day.

I think that’s all I want to say for this podcast. Let me know your thoughts on this.

I would love to share your stories on this and any other subject that may interest you.

So I am signing off now until the next time.

Take care.

You are in my thoughts.