“The Monotony and Solitude of a Quiet Life Simulates the Creative Mind”
– Albert Einstein
Solitude is defined as “the state of being alone“.
Just by reading the word “alone” one may conveniently associate Solitude to Loneliness, this is merely halo-effect at work, because “alone” is traditionally pegged to loneliness which in turn is pegged to sadness, and this negative connotation of being neglected or non-acceptance by the society at large causes an abeyance towards solitude, as most of us beings are highly sociable and the feeblest idea of not being surrounded by people is vile, and rightfully so,
Loneliness is defined as “being sad because one has no friends or company”
Consequently, people being people and being social beings would not want to be bothered being depressed or even sad, thus we loathe being lonely. That being said, it seems we all need happiness but does that mean always being in the company of others?
Well a few of us, if not a majority of us or all of us indeed, would like to start something of our own, which will mean being lonely (at least for a while if not long)…but what it does not mean is – being sad. Just as indolence is not tranquility, loneliness is not solitude.
Most of us are fortunate enough to have a few good friends, whether or not you have a company is another pressing issue involving your entrepreneurial capabilities… but let’s stay on point here. Friends and family are indispensable….more so your spouse in the most indispensable person in your life (only if you possess the amulet of luck, though). They complete you, they compliment you and they fulfil the necessary role of aiding you by all means possible. But the only person who makes you is ‘You’. Nobody and I mean NOBODY (I cannot emphasise more) knows more about you than your own self. You need to find the right path for your own self. If success has to be met, you need to be your own mentor first, decide for yourself what is important and determine your priorities.
The highest form of functioning is achieved through intuitive thinking and intuition is not something you were born with. Intuition is gained through experience, it is gained through knowledge, it is a sum total of all your past endeavours and it surely is a connection between you and your-self.
Just as you need time to connect with friends and family, you need time to connect to your-self, only more. A person needs to learn, acquire skills and hone his senses (just like Superman) in order to be in control. To do all this and to be all this, a person needs to find “Solace in Solitude”.
To me, Solitude is a necessity, it makes me who I am, Solitude is divine, Solitude is empowering, and Solitude is enlightening. I enjoy being alone at times and at times most of the time. I have only experienced very rare occasions when I felt loneliness while being alone. I’d lose my objectivity as well as subjectivity without my lone time. I hope I am not alone with this feeling…..
*sigh*
All the talk cannot equate the virtues of solitude, one has to experience it to be able to relate to the very obvious gibberish of spiritual healing, connecting to the universe, reaching out to the subconscious mind, etcetera, etcetera. But the truth is there is no parallel to spending time with yourself and by yourself, it may be a solo excursion, a project, or even an evening alone reading or writing. Preferably it has to be a soul searching expedition to the womb of Nature, it has to be long drawn experience of impediments while on an odyssey to your ultimate goal. Only through the furnace of hardships will your virtues true as pure gold shall emerge.
Solitude will put you in a self-critical mode, you will but analyse your decisions, contemplate on future endeavours, and possibly be able to make sense out of things that were oblivious to you earlier. You will definitely be engulfed by the sea of thoughts and an ocean of emotions when in solitude. Introspection will set in and clarity will emerge, you will know for sure what is right and what is necessary. You will see what you missed the last time and hopefully will be wary of or cautious to avoid that mistake again. Only in time will your inner voice, your intuition, your best pal will have a say in your decisions and that will make a difference in life, also, that will defeat the diffidence in life. In time you will emerge emotive of the truths of the universe and most importantly your own self. Add a little more perspective to life, add a lot more optimism to life.
Take refuge in solitude, find solace in solitude
