I spent the last 24 hours on a solo river journey in search of solitude. What I learned was this…Solitude does not come naturally. Even when we think we are alone, we are distracted by music, the internet, busywork… Why are we afraid of being alone? Maybe because it threatens us with boredom or an anxiety that can lead to difficult truths, unfinished emotional business and the shadow side of our human nature. True solitude, although challenging, is often the necessary gateway to our deepest passions and discoveries.
"…Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you"
When you look deeply into the face of your aloneness, you discover what truly brings you alive and what doesn't. You learn to develop a relationship with your aloneness as profound and sacred as any other relationship. In true solitude, you remember yourself as a part of everything, as a part of nature…and you learn to use the unavoidable fact of your aloneness to fuel your daily longing for soul.
Excerpts taken from Soulcraft.