Loneliness makes us do crazy things, fear of loneliness even crazier.

In my last reflection, I talked about how it is much better to be alone than to be with the wrong person, and in that post I mentioned how many fear loneliness or are ashamed of feeling it.

There are so many things to say about loneliness, and I will continue to reflect on it in the future, but first I want to say: every single person on this planet has feelings of loneliness to a certain extent, even in the best phases of their lives, and most people will go through an elongated phase. So, the first thing you need to know is you’re not alone. You’re not strange for feeling lonely. You’re not weak. It doesn’t say anything about you as a person. It’s normal.

“Loneliness is the poverty of self, solitude is the richness of self."

- May Sarton

There is a large portion of the troublesome sort of loneliness that comes from people not being able to be alone for long periods of time. Either you can’t handle being stuck with your thoughts or obligations, you don’t know what to do with yourself, or you instantly miss company, and all of that stems in one way or another from either not liking yourself enough, running away from something, or seeking the approval of others. All of these areas are areas that need to be remedied to bring greater peace to our lives.

May Sarton’s quote above is very accurate; when one truly loves themselves and is sure of themselves--that encompasses the path they are on, the way they treat themselves, how they feel about the decisions they make, and (although many don’t realize it) spirituality--then the majority of loneliness that the average person feels turns into solitude. Solitude is a beautiful treasure where growth happens faster than anywhere else.

There’s so much more to say on loneliness. But, for now, leave with this important thought:

Make peace with being alone and feelings of loneliness. Remind yourself: it’s normal, it says nothing bad about you, it’s better than empty company. Remember that loneliness is tied to time. Just because you’re feeling lonely this weekend, doesn’t mean you will feel it next month. Lastly, solitude can be a valuable treasure.