The Art of Positive Solitude – When Flying Solo can be the Way to Go

The art of solitude

Solitude frequently carries negative connotations of sadness and loneliness due to a lack of companions. I want to debunk that perception, because when perfected, solitude can be one of the more powerful methods for achieving deep introspection, self-love, and exponential personal growth.

Society is overwhelming. Think about a typical walk down a busy street in Manhattan. Within a span of 3 minutes, you’re probably exposed to hundreds of people, dozens of advertising messages, an inundation of traffic noises, and at least three or four smells that you probably don’t want to know the originating source.

How are we expected to ever focus on ourselves in a world that is ripe with distractions? One must escape from the chaos of the modern world to truly gain perspective on life.

There’s a certain sense of self-analysis and introspection that come in a period of solitude. For me, it starts with a cross country flight nestled in the aisle seat listening to my favorite playlist, traveling solo in a new country, meditating in my backyard, paddle boarding in Miami’s intracoastal canals or driving down federal highway to the Florida Keys overlooking the many shades of blue in the pristine salt waters.

Think back to when some of your more brilliant or creative moments came to you. Where were you? In the shower? Driving? Traveling? I’ll bet that more often then not, it was a point of at least partial solitude. It’s at these beautiful moments that we can be real with ourselves, delve deep introspectively, and attain perspective that will empower us to make the right decisions and create beautiful things.

This is particularly pertinent when you’re getting over a breakup. The inclination will be to surround yourself with as many people as possible so you don’t feel lonely. This is natural and you should spend a lot of time with close friends and family that have a positive impact on your life. But, you have to make time for yourself as well.

Now’s the time to rediscover yourself. Remember who you were before you were with her. You have a new platform to unleash your inner awesomeness and be whatever you want.

So, take the time to meditate, book a trip by yourself, get out of town, and just sit in silence. These will all give you the proper time and prospective to sort through your thoughts, prioritize what’s next, and do some amazing things in life.

This article original appeared on AskMen