ON BEING ALONE

Photo Copyright:  Oleg Korolev, "Prodigal Son"

"When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth to death -- ourselves."~~Eda LeShan

Until recently, being alone was very difficult.  I hated it.  I did not know what to do with ‘being alone’.  For a long time, I would desperately try to escape the FEELING.

I am sure many of you know how to escape…eating, drinking, television, music, reading fiction, drugs…the ways are almost endless. Did it help?  To be brutally honest, NO IT DID NOT HELP.  In fact, it made it worse.  At the time, I did not realize how much worse trying to escape made FEELING alone.  ‘Escaping’ is not the answer.  Sitting with your fears and learning to understanding what is behind them is the answer.  Just remember not to “dwell”.  That is when you become addicted.

There is a huge difference between FEELING and BEING.  This is true for all of our emotions.  I ‘feel’ depressed—I ‘am’ depressed; I ‘feel’ sad—I ‘am’ sad;  I ‘feel’ alone—I ‘am’ alone.  I could go on, but I think you see where I am headed.  YOU ARE NOT YOUR FEELINGS, so please try not to identify them as you.

Life is one big rollercoaster.  It has its ups and downs, highs and lows, twists and turns.  You can be moving smoothly on one path today, and tomorrow be on a path filled with potholes and speed bumps. 

Finding your inner Self, your inner guide, your inner strength is the way to ‘Being’ in this world.  It can be a painful journey, but in the end you will overcome ‘feeling’ and learn to ‘Be’.  Your feelings will no longer define who you are and how you live.  They will no longer control you.  You will be set free from your past. 

You will return to your ‘Self’.  When you live in, through and with your ‘Self’, you will never be alone.

This has been my experience.  I hope it will be yours.

Peace.

Nico