You feel like you’re the lonely one in a room full of people.
This statement has resonated with me on more than one occasion, and I’m willing to bet you’ve felt this way too. Especially as college students who may be away from home for the first time, it is easy to fall into this empty feeling of loneliness. Even if you’re in a room full of people, you may be feeling a disconnect from others who seem to be enjoying themselves more than you. The one aspect of loneliness that we all seem to share is this ironic idea that no one else is feeling the same way we do.
The hard truth to accept is that everyone is lonely.
The girl who is sitting alone at the dining hall is lonely when she looks at the table full of friends laughing over lunch. Across the way, there’s another girl who stays quiet when everyone else at her full table seems to have something to say. One may be surrounded by people while the other is alone, but they are both plagued by the same feeling of loneliness that stems from this insane idea that everyone else has their lives together while you do not.
The simple truth that everyone feels lonely is the first step on a path to overcoming this feeling. You may be reading this and shaking your head, calling to mind that one person who seems to have it all – a huge friend group, a significant other, and whatever else – and thinking there is no way they could be having the same feelings you are. That’s why this is so difficult to overcome, because we always compare our lives to those around us. Social media can play a large role in this, but that’s a conversation for another article. Appearances often hide what’s going on underneath; meaning, that person in your mind who is having the time of their life in college feels lonely too.
Loneliness doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It can be transformed into something beautiful. When you constantly remind yourself that you are not alone in these feelings you will become more connected to the people around you than ever before. You will be a more loving and caring friend who looks for the signs of loneliness in other people. Most importantly, you can begin to enjoy your own company once you stop comparing your life to that of other people.
It’s simply not true that you’re the only person feeling lonely in a room full of people. Once you accept this, you will notice a drastic change in your happiness and can begin to help those around you learn their worth.
You’re one in a room full of lonely people.