The Importance Of Being Alone – The Power Of Solitude

 Being alone can actually be a great time for self-discovery. It’s in moments of solitude that we discover our true identity and means of expression. For most people, solitude arises creativity and it allows them to focus on ideas and problems to solve, get outside of their comfort zone, and reach deep into themselves. We can’t do that around noisy people and their distractions.

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Welcome to the continuation of our monthly discussion, the power of solitude. If this is your first article in the series, make sure you see the previous ones, so you can get the full detail of our discussion.

What you will learn about solitude

Here are the subtopics we are covering in the article series on “Solitude”

• How to Walk Alone Sometimes – The Power of Solitude
• Embrace Your Solitary Moments – The Power Of Solitude
• The Importance Of Being Alone – The Power Of Solitude
• What is Solitude? – The Power Of Solitude

The importance of being alone

As once remarked by Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, best known for his book, The World as Will and Representation, “A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free”.

I think this is a good place to start today’s reflection on the power of solitude. In the previous article in this series, we discuss at length about the general idea of solitude, so let’s go ahead and consider some of the importance of being alone and how to take advantage of it.

Social media and human connection

By now, you too might have been going around with the illusion about social media that we are truly connected. Sad to say but it’s true that a lot of people count so much on the number of likes and share they have on their social media posts as if it were a replacement of their real human connection and the approval of what they represent.

Nothing can replace our actual human connection because we are social animals and this connection and collaboration are what has helped us to survive over the hundreds of thousands and millions of years of our evolution.

Otherwise, as human beings, we are not the smartest animals, the most powerful, the biggest, or the most intelligent animals to exist on earth.

Having said that, the superficiality of social media does not replace human relationships. Even more importantly, that kind of communication may end up hindering us from having meaningful intimacy with ourselves, I mean our individual selves. So, we need to be conscious of our use of social media as a way of real connection.

Find your own relevance so you can better serve others

For you to be relevant to a group or call it a community, in this case, you first need to be relevant as an individual, because you cannot serve others if you cannot serve yourself. And for you to develop your individuality, to tap into your inner strength, you need to learn how to detach yourself from the crowd.

You should do this from time to time without feeling guilty or awkward for being alone. Being alone allows you to know who you truly are, in your strengths and weaknesses, and thus gives you the freedom to be reflective, and to think for yourself.

This is the moment you are able to connect to the infinite potential in the universe because you are not swayed by the beliefs, feelings, and behaviors of other people around you. You are firmed like a deeply rooted tree. Yes, find your relevance and remain unwavering in your unique personality.

Let others see you as a strong force to reckon with, because you have found yourself and are no longer just a number in the crowd.

Your mindset matters in leveraging the power of Solitude

A lot of people make the mistake of feeling bad about themselves when they are alone. We can’t ignore the importance of solitude in our lives. Spending some time alone can help us recharge, gain clarity, and approach life with a new perspective. With that said, we need to make sure our mindset is right so we don’t feel bad about being alone or stop ourselves from getting the most out of it.

Mindset is the most important factor that determines whether you will succeed or fail in life. It influences how you see yourself, and how you project yourself to the world. Mindset shapes your thoughts, decisions, actions, and ultimately your success. So, to better leverage, the power of solitude, remember that everything first takes place in your mind before it manifests on the outside.

Solitude is a state where our minds can be at rest. A state where the mind is not being overstimulated with things such as radio, television, books, and conversation. Being on your own and shutting out these noises can be very refreshing and all these have to do with your attitude and how your frame of mind.

The stress of starting a new job, managing family life, and keeping up with the daily grind can be hard on our bodies. The constant pressure wears us down and even if we are getting enough sleep, we can still feel tired and run down.

Taking these moments of solitude rest the brain enough from outside stimulation and can help us to feel more refreshed when we return to our normal busy cycles.

Strive For Balance and a Purposeful Life

Being alone does not mean you should never ask for help when you need one or consult the opinions of others. No, it does not mean that. You can learn from other people and from everything around you. This is very important for your personal growth and to have a balance in life.

 Even more important is to know your true values upon which you base your judgment and your kind of interactions with the people and environment around you. You should never underestimate your values.

That is how you can lead a life of purpose; a life where you are in charge instead of simply following a crowd, thinking that the masses will eventually lead you to your destination. This is your life, choose your own course based on certain values you have given your pre-eminence. You heard me right. Choose to be alone sometimes. Now, what is the importance of that?

The following is an extract from a New York Time article, “Why You Should Find Time to Be Alone With Yourself”

“Choosing to spend time doing things by yourself can have mental, emotional, and social benefits, but the key to reaping those positive rewards comes from choosing to spend time alone. In a culture where we often confuse being alone for loneliness, the ability to appreciate time by ourselves prevents us from processing the experience as a negative thing.”

That is it. A lot of us think that being alone is or should be associated with negativity. But it’s wrong. Being alone, as we have discussed in the previous article, (What is Solitude? – The Power Of Solitude) should not be confused with being lonely.

For the sake of your mental and emotional stability, try to tap into the power of solitude from time to time and you will give yourself the freedom and possibility of a balanced and purposeful life.

How do you go about being alone?

Well, you may want to start small if being alone is something new to you. A good strategy could be to deliberately spend some moments all by yourself and from time to time.

Have you considered taking yourself out to a movie or a dinner? That can help, you know. Explore new places alone within your neighborhood or at a relatively short distance from where you live. Build on these small strategies and they will soon become good habits to keep, especially as you begin to see the rewards.

Note that I am not saying these to discourage you from having relationships, friends, and family to be around or things like that. But like I have said earlier in this article, you cannot serve others, whether in a group or in private life if you cannot serve yourself.

You want to be in a relationship, fine. But what are you taking along with you to make it a meaningful relationship? Are you simply going to occupy a space. Are you hoping that your partner will carry you on his or her shoulder, like a lifeless object and as if you have no mission to accomplish? You get the point.

Grow from within and tap into the power of your solitude

There is no doubt that being alone allows you an abundance of opportunities to grow and become a better version of your yesterday. With no distraction and interference from other people, you are able to better tap into your inner self and reconnect with the universal power of oneness.

Learn from the Great Masters of our times, both past and present. Understand why they travel on solitary journeys to search into the depths of their being and to find answers to some of the challenging questions in their encounters.

Just like them, you too can have the same transforming experiences by being alone and choosing to go deeper about your life.

Your key takeaways the importance of being alone – the power of solitude

There is power in solitude. When you offer yourself a little bit of solitude to relax, you not only recover from daily stresses and pressures but also get to enjoy some peace and quiet. The toll your work may have on you isn’t always noticeable, so sometimes it’s best to leave the office, relax and recharge your energy.

Our daily commute, sleep routines, distractions and more all affect the quality of our lives. They beat us down and they break our will and they can even get rid of our inspiration or beliefs so over time we need to be careful in order to live peacefully. So, there is importance and power in solitude. Take advantage of it.

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