Savoring The Sweetness of Solitude

One of the leading causes of suffering in this world is the feeling of being lonely and unloved.

Recently, I have pondered how much of this loneliness is our own creation; the building of our own prison based on society’s definition of what constitutes a happy life; lots of Friends and family. It seems to me that much of humanity has made themselves miserable by trying to meet societies expectations.

You do not need anybody or anything to make you happy.
That is the delusion of mankind

It is fine to spend time in the company of others. We are wired for this. It is something that we crave. But life is about balance and we also crave solitude. We were born into this world alone and we will leave it alone, therefore we better get used to spending quality time alone; feeling comfortable in our own skins. Solitude is a type of self-love that that is not dependent on other people being in our lives when we need them. It’s something that you can enjoy anywhere and anytime.

In solitude, you have time to be yourself without putting on false-presences and trying to impress other people.

Enjoying solitude throughout your busy day

Solitude is not something that you have to do by yourself. It is something that you can do in the company of other people as well. It’s a way of traveling; a state of being. It is a way of being in the world without being consumed by all its business.

Solitude is the key to real happiness. Simply retire into your inner sanctuary and enjoy the warm, loving presence of God. This practice can be done anywhere; on the meditation mat and in the market place.

While life rages around you,
find the stillness within.

What man needs is self-contentment to be happy. And, that self-contentment comes through our blissful communion with God, day by day, moment by moment; breathing in His loving essence; basking in His divine glory.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a total introvert. Face time is very important to me. I love spending quality time with my wife, family, friends and co-workers. However, I also need a lot of alone-time to do what I love to do, such as reading, writing, exercising, being out in nature, and enjoying the sunshine. In silence I can get closer to God through study, meditation, and prayer. The practice of solitude allows me to slow down, reflect, reconnect and re-energize. It allows me to not only to survive, but thrive!

When you become overburdened by all the noise, obligations, and commitments; spend some quiet time by yourself, doing what you love to do.

Take a moment slow down, breathe, and come back to the present moment. Feel the goodness that is within you and all around you and bask in this inner-sunshine for a while and enjoy life.

Notice the shift that takes place within you. And, don’t forget to thank your higher power for all the great things that you have been has blessed you with.

You are never alone in the presence of God

We are never truly alone. The Heavenly Beloved, is always with us to guide us and lift us up.

We are least alone when we are dwelling
in the warm, loving presence of God.

Being alone makes it easier to tune into the warm, loving presence of God that lives in our heart. We can talk to God about our most intimate concerns. And, if you listen closely, you will hear him talk back to you in the form of uplifting thoughts. You can read more about what God has said to me in my Spirit Speaks post.

Others may exclude you, but the Heavenly Spirit is always there for us. We only have to open our hearts and feel His warm, loving presence. Then, extend this love out to others to create heaven on earth.

Turn it up as high as it will go!

Within you is an energy source that few people know about and even fewer know how to control. This is the power of love. To access this force, simply ask for as much of it as you like. If you like, you can say,” Turn it up as high as it can go!” Then be open to receiving it. It is as simple as that.

Most people cannot believe that it could be this easy, therefore they are not open to receiving it and fail to realize its benefits.

Do not seek. Soar!

You can access this secret energy source anytime you need a lift. It’s your birthright. It’s who you are!

What are you thinking?

Without constant attention, our conditioned minds have a tendency to move into the negative territory.

Mindfulness keeps us planted in the joy of solitude and stops us from getting pulled away into the realms of loneliness.

We must continually train our mind to focus on productive, uplifting thoughts. We need to pay attention to the things that matter most to us, such as:

• Being aware of our breath
• Being aware of the love in our heart
• Being grateful for all the things that we have been blessed with, such as our health.
• And, just being grateful for being alive, in this golden moment of time.

Let go of all the other things that are beyond your control.

This is the path to living a happy life.

The following inspirations will help remind you to enjoy the sweetness of solitude.

“Tranquility:
Walking alone;
Happy alone.”
– Shiki Masaoka (1867-1902)

“Solitude is full of God.”
– Serbian Saying

“In solitude, we are least alone.”
– Paraphrasing Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Love is within us and all around us.
Behold the light. Feel it’s warmth!

It’s always sunny and warm in our loving hearts

Our true nature is always radiant, shining, and glowing forth;
however, it is often overshadowed by our illusions and past conditioning.
– Inspired by Buddha (600-400 BC)

“It is eternity now. I am in the midst of it. It is about me in the sunshine; I am in it, as a butterfly in the light-laden air. Nothing has to come; it is now. Now is eternity; now is the immortal life.”
– Richard Jefferies (1848-1887)

“If you are upset by external things, it is not the things that disturb you, but your own judgement of them. And it is in your power dissolve that judgement by focusing your attention something more uplifting.” – Inspired by Marcus Aurelius (121-180)

Be aware of the negativity that arises in your life,
at the same time, be aware of the warm, loving presence of God
dissolves that negativity.

Once you are aware of the warm, loving presence of God, your sadness will leave you for sadness and love cannot exist at the same time.

“It is within our power to withdraw into ourselves whenever we like and experience the perfect tranquility that resides within.” – Paraphrase Marcus Aurelius(121-180)

Keep good company with yourself
And you will never be lonely another day in your life.

The secret of contented living is
Realizing what we have is enough.

“Dwell in the center of your being;
for the more you leave it, the more you will suffer.”
– Paraphrasing Lao Tzu (601-531 BC)

“When we pierce the veil of separation,
we see the unity of all beings.”
– Shvetashvatara Upanishad (c. 400-200 BC)

Doubt that the stars are made of fire;
Doubt that the sun moves across the sky;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt the presence of love.
– Inspired by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Copyright © 2019. Mark Ellison. All Rights Reserved