Aloneness

We come into this world alone and we die alone..........yet the thought of aloneness to most of us takes on it's ugly shadow sister -loneliness.

Both are states of solitude….....the difference - loneliness is laced with a victim mentality, drenched with feelings of isolation and emptiness. It feels forced upon us with no choice. It’s symptoms manifest as a desperate need for external distractions and comforts.

Aloneness by contrast is cast with a sense of wonderment at discovering ourselves in deep introspection. We are able to de-clutter our minds, process our feelings and begin to unravel the truth of ourselves amidst the noise of so much social conditioning.

It is vital for insight, clear direction and harmony. Essential for any creative process, it allows new ideas and concepts to unfold. It is unsurprising that every great spiritual teaching ever written extols the virtues of alone time as the core to finding our truth, happiness and fulfilment.

Did you know that nearly every great contributor to humankind in the fields of Arts and Science centred around much alone time. Einstein, Da Vinci, Newton, Dali, Hemingway, Steve Jobs always ate lunch alone and the list goes on.

Meanwhile, loneliness creates dependencies on others that are rooted in insecurity. The very sense of this loneliness tends to foster greater demands on the people close to us with the inevitability that it pushes those in orbit further away. While aloneness is about feeling centred in ones own sense of worth, needing nothing from others, it fosters an energy of deeper engagement, more genuine relationships that are based on mutual support.

So, a wise investment to create some space to daydream, meditate, journal........wander in nature........or whatever gives you that greater connection to yourself and clarity of feelings.