“Loneliness is the poverty of self, solitude is the richness of self. “
– May Sarton
All our lives we’ve been taught the significance of making friends, interacting with people; known and unknown, catering to the social demands that come with being a part of a friend group, having colleagues, or even being a part of a family. Amid constant interactions and the unending humdrum of words, it is not entirely uncommon for people to lose themselves. We tend to forget about the very origin of our interests or where our creativity stems from.
This is where solitude plays a cardinal role in your life. Solitude gives you the freedom to advance into realms of creativity and imagination that your practical mind convinced you do not exist. The typical, conventional fashion of the world must have turned you at least once into a customary puppet of society. But when you are alone with your thoughts, with no boundaries holding you back, you will most certainly amble back to the place where your heart belongs.
The greatest of ideas spring from the brilliant concoction of inventiveness, ingenuity, and an ample amount of solitude. It gives your mind a break and your heart the opportunity to work with the fiber that your dreams are made of. With the ideal mindset and an unerring sense of direction, solitude can turn your life around in the most flabbergasting of ways.
Now, I would like to address the thought that must have visited your mind as soon as you read the word ‘solitude,’ and that is the ongoing pandemic. I realize how unfathomably disadvantageous the current situation is for all of us, but at a time like this, we do not only need to offer support from a distance, but we also need to take great care of ourselves as individuals who are as fragile and vulnerable as any other human being at this point.
Being alone might not seem like the best idea for some of us who have conflicted minds and the only viable distraction is socializing but we must understand that socializing during a global pandemic is not an option to turn to. We must realize that we are already surrounded by so much negativity and we need to understand the importance of cultivating positive and creative thoughts during the time that we spend with ourselves, especially during the pandemic. Even when there isn’t a deadly virus breathing down our necks, solitude plays a key role. You can make as many friends as you like, talk to as many people as physically possible, but at the end of it all, you come home to yourself, your mind and, your heart. And it is your responsibility to make the most of that alone time.
What should one do to make the most out of solitude?
Well, for starters, you should pay attention to your thoughts and mannerisms. They are what will tell you so much about who you’ve become. You should find within you an appreciation for the things that you’ve accomplished and the habits that you’re proud of but must also make peace with the things you don’t necessarily like about yourself. Cultivate an inner monologue about the complexities of life to gain perspective and that is when you’ll be on the road to self-acceptance. Once you love and accept yourself for who you are and understand your thoughts and emotions, you’ll become your own best friend, because as many friends as you have, the most reliable person in your life is yourself. Having the ability to count on yourself will bring you an abundance of contentment and you will no longer have to lament the loss of your sense of individuality.
To explore your creative tendencies, you must let your mind wander into arenas that tug at your curiosity the most. The key to limitless potential is getting familiar with the idea of setting no boundaries and restrictions when it comes to your creativity. In pursuit of an unimaginably creative mind, people must let go of the societal burdens that hold them back. The right amount of creativity will allow you to relish in the irrelevant, find a muse in the mundane and see paradise in paraphernalia.
In the end, I would like to say that solitude can be as beautiful as the moon on a clear night and as satisfying as the sound of the rain gently falling on the roof. You just have to find the right balance of the aforementioned things to make the most out of it.