Many people hate the question that all college students are asked by their potential future employers: “Tell me about yourself.” But, it is one of my favorite questions—not because I like talking about myself, but because I know exactly who I am and what I want. I have a strong belief that much of this comes from the fact that I am extremely content with being alone. I also need to have time alone, or I won’t function. Don’t get me wrong, I love being social, too, but in order to truly discover who you are and who you want to be, you need to be able to be alone with yourself. If you cannot be alone with yourself, maybe not everyone will enjoy being with you either.

I think being alone is a true blessing. Just me and a book, or even just watching Netflix. No one to distract me and no one to bother me. Just me.

To many, that probably sounds terrifying, but this does not mean I am lonely. I have my group of friends that know I need some “Linnea-time” and if you ask them, I am probably extremely needy (which, at times, I guess I am). My best friend, for example, even knows when it’s time for her to go. She’ll joke with me and say “Okay, I get it. You need some alone time, haha.” I don’t know how, but rarely do I ever feel lonely. I know I have a family that loves and supports me, and I have some of the best friends I could have ever asked for. The reality is that once I leave college, I will get thrown into a new world, maybe even a new city where I will have to be content with being alone at times. It’s inevitable.

To me, being alone means that I have the time to focus on myself and on the things that I want to do. It makes me stronger and wiser since I can think about my future, decide what I want to do and how to get there.

It gives me hope. Hope that I can be and do everything that I put my mind to. That I know I will be able to say no if put in an uncomfortable situation because I know who I am. lt also gives me hope that we all are truly individuals that are different and that we each and all can make a difference in the world.

Give yourself timeto grow and be smarter, because one day I am sure it will pay off.