As the wonderfully inspiring Kelly Clarkson once said, “Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone”. Since when does doing things alone mean you have no one to do them with? It is so common to jump to conclusions and assume the person sitting alone has no friends, yet in fact, this person actually chose to be alone.
We are accustomed to the idea that alone time is a punishment, due to the popularity of time-outs as a negative reinforcement for children. The terms 'solitude' and 'loneliness' are often confused to mean the same thing as one another. However, Paul Tillich explains it wonderfully when he says, “loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.”
Never have I considered myself to be an introvert, but the value of being alone has recently opened my eyes. Coming from someone who likes to bring a friend with her to go to the pharmacy, I never though I’d speak the works “I want to be alone.” However, recently, there has been a calling for me do some things solo.
Have you ever driven by yourself, playing whatever you want, however loud you want, singing whichever wrong lyrics without a complaint? If the answer is no, then I highly advise you to stop reading right now and go find your keys. There is something so liberating about being in complete control, yet giving no effort to keep that control.
If there were one thing I truly do not have enough of in my life, it would be time. This may be directly related to a few simple facts about me. First of all, I hate to be late. Second of all, I hate when I'm late because of someone else’s doing. This is where I recently found riding solo to be the quick fix to my problem. Shopping is an area I can confidently claim as something I have mastered, however this is definitely a new accomplishment. I had never realized that a trip to Target doesn't actually take an hour to complete. Contrary to the multiple trips I have taken to Target with a whole posse of friends, this can actually be a 20-minute task if you take it on alone. You're in and you're out, and you are moving on with your day.
Finally, if you are not going to spend some alone time for the time-saving qualities or the pure joy felt from solo drives, you should do it for the health benefits. Spending time in solitude can increase concentration and productivity. That means no more sitting with your friends when you have to study for the biggest test of the semester. So get to being productive and go find how wonderful some alone time can be!
