These words bring different images and feelings, to different people, at different times in their life.
In this contribution, Life Coach and Strategist Antoinette Camilleri provides her thoughts and insight on the matter.
After a breakup, or divorce, solitude can be a heartbreaking physical pain. After an abusive relationship, it may be just what you need.
For a mother who cannot even have a proper shower in peace; being alone for ten minutes, is like Christmas.
For introverts, solitude is the way to recharge their batteries. For an extrovert, it is a type of death.
We might think we know how to be alone, but most of us, only know how to do this with the TV or radio on, or if we are flipping through our phone.
Are you able to go for a walk on your own, and enjoy it? Can you sit in your home, alone, doing absolutely nothing?
For some, these ideas may appear weird, or downright frightening. But should we not all learn how to be ok alone, just with our thoughts? We are born alone, and we die alone. Isn’t it therefore, normal to find ourselves alone somewhere along the path? And should we not be able to live that time well too?
Instead, we go to different extremes, to avoid loneliness. We work long hours; stay in, or enter unhealthy relationships; engage in casual sex; abuse of alcohol, or food; over enmesh in other people’s problems, and more. And we do this mindlessly, reaching for the next project, or problem, to ward of the emptiness.
