Vignettes on Aging:  Solitude

Some of us welcome our alone time and some fear it as the widest expanse of emptiness we have to endure. Others never know of the existence of solitude because of the noise and craziness of children, intense jobs and/or myriad obligations that take almost all their time.

Solitude can be the most fabulous gift you can give yourself. It’s during times of solitude that you are able to stop and listen to your inner voice … to really listen to what you want or need. When was the last time you did that?

You’re not really enjoying solitude even though you’re alone if your mind is racing through a rehash of the day or week or if it’s spinning through the possibilities of all that’s coming in the future. This is the monkey mind – the mind that never quiets, the mind that takes you out of the now. You can’t enjoy solitude if you’re not in the now.

How do you deal with solitude? Does it scare you as it looms large in a quiet week or do you celebrate it by creating the space you need on a regular basis in order to recoup and rejuvenate?