Finding a SPARK When the World Feels Heavy
Holding Onto Humanity in a World of Machines and Uncertainty
I’m writing this from a plane on a Sunday morning—*not* my favorite way to spend a Sunday, if I’m being honest. There’s something about flying on Sundays, especially early in the day, that has never felt right to me (not sure why). And with a packed week ahead—traveling to NYC and Atlanta, delivering speeches both internally and externally about the technology and change—it already feels like the next week is rushing at me before I’ve even had a chance to process the last one.
But maybe that’s exactly why I needed to sit down and write this. The plane is good for that.
I had a conversation with my mom that stuck with me—she sounded like she needed something, a lift, a light, a *spark*. I thought about a family member who lost an animal this week, one that wasn’t “just a pet” but a real companion, a part of her daily life. And then last night, I spoke with people at an event who had wildly different views on where the world is headed. Some were hopeful, some felt like things were unraveling. And maybe, in some ways, both are true.
It made me think:
How do we hold onto something good when things feel uncertain, sad, or just downright exhausting?* How do we find a way to keep moving forward when we feel like we’re running on empty?
And in a world where AI and technology seem to be talked about more than “being human”, this feels even more important. We’re constantly hearing about automation, efficiency, and the future of work—but at the core of all of it, “we are still people”. People who need connection. People who need meaning. People who, despite all the advancements in tech, still need to feel *human*.
I kept coming back to the word SPARK—because sometimes that’s all we need, and something I wanted to find a way to give my mom. Not a full-blown explosion of optimism, not a dramatic overnight shift, just a little flicker to remind us that light still exists.
I started playing around with the word SPARK and came up with this and hope someone else might find it of value.
S – Self-awareness
Name what you’re feeling. Don’t shove it down, don’t pretend. If it’s grief, exhaustion, frustration—say it. Out loud. To yourself. To someone you trust. Sometimes just admitting, *“Wow, this is a hard week,”* is enough to release some of the weight.
At work, maybe a project you poured yourself into didn’t land well, and now you're left questioning whether all that effort was worth it. Instead of burying the frustration, name it: “That was tough. I put so much into that, and it didn’t go as planned.” Just saying the words can keep negativity from spiraling into self-doubt.
P – Perspective
This isn’t about toxic positivity. It’s about remembering that this moment, as big and consuming as it feels, is just that—a moment. Step back. Zoom out.What else is true? If you’re grieving, it’s because you loved deeply. If the world feels overwhelming, remember that history is full of cycles—and humans have found ways to adapt, to push forward, to rebuild. Perspective doesn’t erase pain, but it does keep it from being the only thing we see.
I think about a friend who’s been struggling with life and watching her battle. It’s exhausting, physically and emotionally. But in the middle of that exhaustion, she told me something that stuck: “Even though this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, I know I’ll look back one day and be grateful I had this time.” That’s perspective—not pretending the pain isn’t real, but recognizing that it isn’t the only thing.
A – Appreciation
Not in the “be grateful and get over it” way, but in the small, real way. If you’re struggling, try this: Find one thing—just one—to appreciate today. A text from a friend talking about a trip I may get invited on. A conversation with the parking attendant at the airport. Even in the heaviest times, there’s something to hold onto.
At work, after a rough meeting, maybe it’s appreciating that at least you have a team that listens. In personal life, it is appreciating you have friends that want to have coffee with you even for 15 minutes to “catch up”. These small things don’t make problems disappear, but they remind us that life isn’t only problems.
R – Resilience.
This one is simple yet very, very hard in the moment: You’ve been here before. Not exactly here, but you’ve faced hard things. And you made it through. You are, by definition, someone who survives hard days. You don’t have to feel strong every second. You just have to keep going.
I had a conversation with my uncle this week about this exact thing—about how, sometimes, moving forward feels impossible, but staying stuck isn’t an option either. We talked about how easy it is to get caught in our own heads, in the weight of everything that’s happened, and how at some point, the only real choice is to take the next step. Even if it’s small. Even if it’s uncertain.
He wasn’t telling me it was easy. He was just reminding me it was necessary.
That stuck with me.
Because resilience isn’t about pretending things don’t hurt—it’s about acknowledging that they do and still moving forward anyway.
K – Kindness.
To yourself. To others. To the world, even when it doesn’t feel like it deserves it. If nothing else, be kind today. With your thoughts. With your words. With your expectations. Maybe kindness is what you offer a stranger. Maybe it’s what you allow yourself—permission to rest, to cry, to feel what you feel without rushing to “fix” it.
A fist bump with a parking attendant today in Minneapolis gave me a spark. Just a small, shared moment of connection—nothing grand, nothing deep, but it lifted something, even for a second. And that’s the thing about kindness. It’s small, but it spreads.
I think about last night’s conversation at an event I was at, with people who had very different views on the world. It would’ve been easy to get defensive, to dig in, to argue. Instead, I tried HARD to listen, and it was LOUD (in more ways than one). Not to agree, but to understand. And you know what? That tiny act of kindness—to just let someone feel heard—shifted the whole energy of the conversation. It reminded me that even when we don’t see eye to eye, we can still choose to be kind.
And sometimes, kindness looks like forgiving yourself. If you didn’t get everything done you wanted, you missed a workout, you weren’t at your best, if you snapped at someone when you didn’t mean to, which I did, let it go. Extend the same grace to yourself that you would to someone you love.
A Spark is Enough
Maybe this day, last week, this year wasn’t and doesn’t seem great. Maybe someone you love is struggling. Maybe the world feels chaotic.
But even in these times, there’s still something. A spark. A moment of warmth in a conversation. A memory that makes you smile through the tears. A reminder that life, even in its messiness, still holds pieces of good, lots of good if you just look for it.
And as I step into a week full of discussions about AI, technology, and the future, I know this: None of it matters without the human side.
The world can automate a lot, but it can’t automate resilience, kindness, or the small sparks of connection that keep us going.
So if you’re feeling like this at all, take a breath. You don’t need to have everything figured out today and you won’t. Just find one small spark. One thing that makes you feel human, connected, here.
And if you can, be that spark for someone else. Because we all need it more than we admit.
About Jason Averbook
Jason Averbook is a globally recognized thought leader in Digital HR Strategy, Generative AI, and the future of work—named one of the Top 25 Human Capital and Work Thought Leaders in the world. With over two decades guiding the HR tech evolution, Jason champions shifting from simply executing technology projects to truly embodying a digital mindset. He’s authored two influential books, founded Leapgen, and regularly inspires global audiences as a speaker, advisor, and educator.
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