Freedom and Discovery In Solitude

You can be alone and yet not feel lonely.  Loneliness is a despondency of feeling left out from the company of other people.

Solitude is a way different cup of tea than loneliness. Time alone by oneself is an intentional pursuit of "me-time" so that you can break free momentarily from the the dictates of other people, social media or even FOMO (the fear of missing out).

The following are some quotes for your rumination on finding freedom and self-discovery through the practice of solitude:

"Our hyperconnected lifestyle threatens our "inner selves". My inner self is that part of me that imagines,that dreams, that explores, that is constantly questioning who I am and what is important to me. my inner self is my true freedom. The sunlight and soil that nourish my inner self are solitude and personal reflection." -- Alan Lightman

"But solitude isn't just about avoiding distractions; it's about giving the mind the space it needs to reflect, make new connections,and find meaning." -- Scott-Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire

"One can be instructed in society, one is inspired only in solitude." -- Goethe 

"Solitude is very different from a 'time-out' from our busy lives. Solitude is the very ground from which community grows. Whenever we pray alone, study, read, write, or simply spend quiet time away from the places where we interact with each other directly, we are potentially opened for a deeper intimacy with each other." -- Henri Nouwen  

“A man can be himself only so long as he is alone; and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.”  -- Arthur Schopenhauer

While held captive in the death camps of Nazi Germany, Viktor Frankl in his solitude discovered the last of human freedom which is the interval between what happened to him (the stimulus) and his response to it. In this short span of time, he has the freedom to choose the response.

Photo by Joel Holland on Unsplash

Indeed with solitude, you will find your aha-moments of epiphany as profoundly as William Wordsworth who noted in the last stanza of his renowned poem on "Daffodils" as follows:-

"For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils."

May the fascination of life overwhelms you as you make time for solitude and personal reflections.