So much of our life is about the invisible. It is about the energy; it is about the unspoken. Love and connection are rooted in our invisible reality; fear and separation so often stem from the visible or the imagined.

We frequently miss the most important things, which are hidden below the surface: the unseen forces that drive life, that impel us in a particular direction.

Science helps us to see these forces, using equipment and theory to bring them into the realm of our senses. We can even use science to bring us a visible description of love: heightened senses, increased metabolism and raised levels of endorphins. But is this enough to describe love? Science is still limited when it comes to defining these energies. There is something about them that remains invisible. Yet we can experience love and even understand it. We have a thousand different ways to describe it and to express it.

We are sensitive to the invisible forces that operate in our lives, and also the invisible energetic forces of the universe, but perhaps not to the extent other animals are as when, for example, they go to ground before a thunderstorm, or run to the hills ahead of a tsunami. They can sense energetic shifts, perhaps because there is less distracting noise in their minds than in ours. Maybe we are too focused on particular things, thoughts, words, everyday stresses to notice subtle energies. Certainly indigenous tribes who live away from the hassles of city life have been shown to be more in tune with these forces, more in tune with Nature.

If you want to understand your own life, your emotions, your actions and your health better and learn how to improve them, understanding your energy is key. Where is your focus? Where is your energy directed? Where is it blocked? Of course we already understand energy to some extent in everyday life at times when it is obvious, such as when we experience the emotions of a child playing with joy, or sulking. But can we understand the subtle yet dominant energetic forces operating in our lives? Can we see the bigger picture, the web that holds together all the pieces? Can we see the underlying fabric of our universe, and of our fragile Earth?

On the surface we can see powerful forces, aggressors and victims, but what is going on beneath? Where are we going as a species? In recent history, despite a movement towards harmony, with advances made in both gender and racial equality, warfare rages on and disharmony still exists, with numerous examples throughout the globe. And the biggest disharmony of all is perhaps our relationship with the natural world. And this is only really a reflection of our relationship with ourselves. We are out of touch. We are destroying something within ourselves, and at the same time we are destroying the planet we live on.

The diseases many of us now die of – heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes – all reflect a disruption or disconnection with the natural energetic flow of our biological systems, the natural energy of the universe. At the same time, we are disrupting the energetic flow that operates on our planet and maintains the ecosystems, the links in food chains. It is all one and the same: the disruption and the destruction occur at an energetic level.

If we want to restore our personal health and the health of the planet, we need to understand that the defining forces of our lives are energetic, and that we need to take care of them. We need to see the bigger picture and we need to connect, with each other and with our planet.

But I am not asking you simply for a rational nod of the head. I want you to experience this for yourself. So disconnect from your emails and go and spend time with your friends, your family, and people in your neighbourhood. Hug your children, share your dinner, experience Nature, wake up to natural light, grow some tomatoes, walk barefoot on the grass, squish sand through your toes, stroll among the trees in the forest, and feel connection and peace.

The answers about how we should connect are all in the energy. Ask yourself how you are connecting. What is your energy? What is your intention? We need to follow the energy we know is in our hearts, and trust it to bring us home to our truest selves so that we can achieve the highest potential for our lives and for the planet.

Some great ways to connect:

www.streetbank.com – lend a hand or a useful item, receive help or borrow something useful from a neighbour.

www.shareyourmeal.net – share your tasty cooking and make friends with people in your neighbourhood.

www.airbnb.com – host a traveller in your spare room or discover amazing, unique accommodation in 192 countries.

www.farmdrop.co.uk – get delicious local and seasonal food while supporting independent producers in your community.

Jeremy Wickremer is a co-founder of Transformational Media Initiative. www.transformationalmedia.org @transformingmed