Solitude is so important for a simpler life. Until you can hear your inner voice, you may rely too much on what other people think your life should look like.
But, I know solitude can be difficult for some people. We had a 2 minute silent prayer at church on Sunday and there was a lot of squirming and fidgeting.
It helps if you have a positive view of being alone.
In the book Awe-manic, it suggests doing an A-Z on Alone.
Here were my thoughts on being alone:
A lone
B reathe
C omfort
D iscern
E mpathy
F reedom
G oodness
H appy
I nsights
J oy
K ick in the pants
L ove
M oods
N otice
O pen
P urpose
Q uery
R est
S atisfy
T ruth
U nwind
V ision
W orth
X amine
Y earning
Z est
What are your thoughts on being alone?
***
I did my own set of words, thank you.
I am a Quaker, so an hour of silence in Meeting for Worship is quite normal. When I eulogized my Catholic mother, I asked if we could just be quiet for a couple of minutes first. Most people said they really liked it, but some .. not so much.
I spend a lot of time alone, and that is fine, unless it becomes isolaton — fine balance there.