The Art of Being Alone
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
Finding yourself in periods of solitude is not at the top of most people’s bucket lists, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about all the wonderful things you can accomplish in your seclusion. While it’s true that time alone grants the opportunity to love yourself fully, I would like to take it a step further. I wouldn’t wish loneliness on my worst enemy, but the art of being alone lies in the absolute freedom at your disposal.
When you have created a huge inner circle of relationships, allowing yourself to be held accountable by everyone is the most respectful thing to do. Your words and actions directly affect people, especially if they depend on you for anything. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a huge circle of people around you, but granting yourself time alone becomes a much harder task to accomplish. Thus, the art of being alone.
This is not to be confused with hyper-individualism. You are still a link in this collective society, and the world is not whole without you. That said, humankind becomes a more loving family when your authentic self shines through. While it’s not impossible to invite authenticity within relationships, it is easier to establish that relationship with yourself, given the freedom of being alone.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
Think of every Pinterest board you have ever curated: the clothing that makes up your dream wardrobe or the corners of the world you want to see. Each of those began as an empty canvas for you to fill with things that struck your fancy. Being faced with a completely blank slate offers you nothing but room for new opportunities and people. There’s a reason the quote “You haven’t met everyone you are going to love quite yet” is as widely popular as it is. Rather than using it as a consolation for being alone, use it as the springboard of excitement for the life you have yet to build. Imagine you take those first steps off the plane and into your dream vacation. You are completely alone. What would you do first? Now, re-read that and let yourself feel over the moon about all the possibilities. For every aspect of your life, there is a door waiting to be opened, and the freedom that comes with being alone gives you nothing but opportunities to explore what could be.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
The world we live in allows insight into the intricacies of any life right at the tip of your fingers. With the advent of the digital age came the advent of feeling like you are not doing enough, that every day is a race to prove that you are winning the imaginary competition. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and this quote has aged like fine wine with the birth of social media. It truly does not matter if the next person has three times the number of Instagram followers you have. If anything, that person has to cater to the likes of three times the number of people you do. Don’t let yourself feel hung up on silly societal pressures when most people haven’t truly met themselves yet. Loneliness does not equal not being good enough.
Life becomes euphoric when you approach it with an optimistic mindset, and being alone is no exception. Take the beautiful life you are given and fill it with childlike wonder, even in moments when the walls of solitude are quickly closing in. Indulge in a lust for life and stay beautiful.
Strike Out,
Writer: Grace Groover
Editor: Cristina Angee
Tallahassee