“ but, in the end, you have no one but yourself only…”
—the codered mediun
There are only two kinds of people in the world: the ones who exist in the world and the ones within whom the world exists.
Before I talk about the perks of solitude it’s worth discussing what solitude is not, in order to enable you to discern or discover what solitude actually is. First thing first it’s not loneliness as you might think. Loneliness is when you feel empty from within, in such a case even the presence of others won’t make you happy. The tragedy is that one can be in a group and still feel lonely—which might be an exigent emergency case and you might need medical help—one the other hand someone in harmony with himself can have good time being alone. Before improving your relationship with others you have to improve your relationship with yourself. This is where solitude begins to make sense and be discernable from loneliness. Actually, when you begin to enjoy the company of yourself, spend time with yourself, feel full with your own self, and love yourself for what you are and how you are, this is when you are able to appreciate the beauty of solitude.
I know some of you will say things like “That sounds too self-concerned or selfish or self-centric”. But my friend self-care doesn’t mean hating others or loving yourself doesn’t mean that you abhor or abominate others. Always remember, “ thinking about oneself is never selfish but thinking only and only about oneself is selfish.”
Even the god created the universe in solitude. Don’t trust me just think it through and you will come to know how.
For you to understand the power of solitude, this code-red lays down the benefits one can enjoy by spending more time with oneself.
Enhanced self-awareness
Spending time with yourself helps you understand yourself and your feelings as well. While alone, you can delve into the realm of your thoughts, gaining an awareness of your values, beliefs and motivations. It further enables you to discover patterns in your behaviour, empowering you to consciously cast aside your destructive habits. You may try your hands at new things— the ones you always desired to do but the fear of being judged or laughed at held you back— especially when nobody is watching you because nobody is going to jest at you. Who knows, in this way, you may also happen to come upon your passion in solitude. It helps develop emotional intelligence, nurturing a better relationship with yourself.
Enhanced creativity
“Solitude is the soil in which genius is planted, creativity grows, and legends bloom…”
—Mike Norton
Solitude triggers you to think about what you haven’t yet. Thus thinking outside the box is quite easy in solitude. Several geniuses who changed history had their Eureka moments in solitude including Albert Einstein, Newton and Archimedes. The answers to some of the most difficult questions were also found in solitude — such as sir Srinivasa Ramanujan discovered Mock-theta function in solitude. It also helps in improving mental clarity.
Freedom of boredom
Solitude gives you enough time to get bored which might be helpful in productivity enhancement. I know it sounds queer but it’s true. We have always held a negative view of boredom, with many brands’ advertisements adding fuel to this perception with catchphrases like “kill boredom” or “boredom kills”. But more often than not people are hit upon by productive ideas when getting bored. It pushes your mind to work, breaking the shackles of mediocrity.
Opportunity to practice self-reflection (also self-realization)
As humans, we are always prone to falling victim to mistakes, weaknesses and failures. The best way to overcome these is to realize your strengths and weaknesses. After you have found your Achilles’ heels you are ready to eliminate them. Similarly, we need to work on our strengths and cultivate skills that will help you in your career growth. Several times we have an altercation with our closest ones only to realize our own fault at the end. What follows is we end up causing self-annoyance to ourselves. Solitude is a better place to meditate on your faults and accept them.
Opportunity to overcome fears
Solitude reveals your true self to you, making room for your fears to appear before you. It’s an opportunity for you to face your fears. After braving your fear you enter into an elated mood to approach the upcoming challenges of life. And remember the famous tagline of Mountain Dew “Dar ke aage jeet hai.”(meaning “there is victory beyond fear”).
In conclusion, solitude is one of the best things one can find to make yourself comfortable with. Once you have done it you will begin to love the company of yourself, feeling the joy of being alone.
There are only two kinds of people in the world: the ones who belong to the world and the ones whom the world belongs to.