I'm the type of girl who willingly does things solo. From dinner or a movie, to shopping, running errands, and traveling, I genuinely enjoy doing things by myself. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy these things with the many wonderful people in my life, but I have found that it is very important to learn how to be alone.

A lot of people have a hard time accepting their own company as being "enough". People tend to feel embarrassed or awkward going places alone. Our society has created this stigma that doing things alone is depressing. Although the first few outings can seem a little strange and make you feel vulnerable, it has a lot of great benefits.

No matter how social you are, there are times when you will inevitably feel lonely. Learning to be comfortable with your own company can help you become better at dealing with lonely times in life. When you are comfortable enough with yourself to be alone, you're showing that you know you can depend on yourself. As you become more dependent on yourself, you become less dependent on others. With this comes a sense of confidence and empowerment. Knowing you will be okay on your own brings a feeling that everything in the world will be okay. It also shows strength. Strength that even though having dinner, going to a movie theater, or sight-seeing alone is considered socially "abnormal", you can look past what others think and do what you want to do. When you're with other people, you're constantly making compromises and doing things that will please them. When you learn to be alone, you can do more of what makes you happy. Alone time gives yourself time to recharge and take a break from worrying about making others happy.

Spending time with yourself brings maturity and growth. You grow as a person. You give yourself a chance to learn more about yourself and be comfortable with who you are. You discover your true thoughts and feelings when there's no one around to impose their views and opinions. You are your longest friendship so you need to be true to yourself. This can be a great time to focus your energy and thoughts inward.

Learning to be alone has had such a positive impact on my life. I encourage everyone to shed the stigma and give it a try. It's a great feeling when you can look around and be okay seeing no one but yourself.