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Today's
quotation:
There
were many times in my life, until I was left alone,
that I wished for solitude. I now find that I
love solitude. I never had the blessed gift of
being alone until the last of my loved ones was
wrested from me. Now I can go sometimes for
days and days without seeing anyone. . . .
Solitude-- walking
alone, doing things alone-- is the most blessed thing
in the world. The mind relaxes and thoughts
begin to flow and I think I am beginning to find
myself a little bit.
Helen
Hayes
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Today's
Meditation:
I
used to hate being alone. Somehow I saw the fact
that I was alone as a failure, as a problem in my
life. I felt that it was an indicator of the many
imagined shortcomings that I had convinced myself that I
had. These days, though, I've come to appreciate
solitude as one of the most important elements of my life,
for my times of solitude also are my times of reflection
and introspection, times when I can seriously consider my
life and my place in this world of ours.
Solitude
allows us to slow down, to take life at a less frantic
pace, to appreciate the peace and quiet that's available
to all of us when we look for it. Solitude also
allows us to think our own thoughts rather than constantly
thinking thoughts that are reactions to other people's
thoughts or words or actions. It allows us to dig
more deeply into topics that interest us, books that
fascinate us, ideas that intrigue us. Solitude
allows us to shift our focus to things that are important
to us as spiritual beings rather than focusing on whatever
it is that the group is focusing on at the moment.
A
walk alone can be one of the most important elements of
any given day. An hour alone at home can help us to
restore our energy and reinvigorate ourselves. If we
accept solitude for what it is, it can be the most
relaxing and refreshing part of our everyday lives.
If
we equate the term solitude with "loneliness,"
though, we can sabotage any chance we have of getting
benefit from our alone time. Our perspective towards
solitude is what determines whether it's a part of our
lives that contributes to who we are-- and what we're able
to give to others-- or a part that brings us down, that we
long to escape from whenever it visits.
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