The Art of Solitude

As a self-proclaimed introvert I personally know the benefits of solitude but since everyone is not an introvert and in actuality no one person is strictly an introvert or extrovert as that would make that person clinically insane. That such temperaments or personalities  exists on a spectrum and to operate at our best means to honor the introvert as well as the extrovert in each one of us. But since we live in a extrovert world that promotes anything extroverted it is of the utmost importance that we all hone our introversion. There is a saying that to be a master at anything  you must dedicate 10,000 hours. This is largely true. But the true mastering of a craft begins when you are alone- just you and what ever task lays before you. As a blogger, I noticed that to be utterly alone with myself, no distractions, I can completely surrender myself to my work, I also practise this sort of mindfulness with my other tasks. I feel I can best tap into my creative energy when I am alone. Without people around to give me even the slightest notion to conform to their way of thinking instead of trusting my own . I have never in my wildest dreams found something more companionable than solitude. It's ironic how slipping away from all this social media and social interaction makes a person feel so connected and so alive. When you are utterly alone you can be yourself well without the judgements of the world  it   allows your creativity to flow.  Nikola Tesla stated, “The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.” He and many other great minds will tell you the same. There is a certain amount of aloneness that comes with the mastery of your craft but then again are you really alone if you are always there for you? Well do you trust yourself? Can you really be absolutely alone without using an escape? I honestly believe that the greatest test of a man's authenticity is whether the disposition he keeps in solitude is the same he keeps in a crowd. Many will not know the truth but a man lying to himself will know it for himself and hopefully this might ignite something inside him. Spend some loving alone time with yourself. Discover new things about you. Use this new awareness of yourself and your circumstances to propel you further in life. You were not meant to be mediocre!  You are destined for greatness!

Warning: I am not, however by any means saying to give all your possessions and go live in the mountains indefinitely. Or to completely seclude yourself from society. I am simply saying that the quality of being an introvert is nothing to ashamed of and that we should nurture both our extrovert and introvert within all of us. Lovingly accept ourselves as we are then move on from there.

xoxoxo
Heart Follower

Maturity

Age and maturity  have no correlation.  Way too many times I have found adults  that still act  like  children. Not in a good way in a way that questions their age and superiority among other things. When we lock our inner child and do not deal with the trauma that they have endured, our inner child starts to control our lives. The ''inner child'' is simply a metaphor for the place within each and everyone of us that is adventurous, cheerful, playful, curious. It is the part of us that never ceases to dream, to imagine, to be bold and creative. Without the expression of our inner child life is dull and monotonous. When we have allowed the world to taint us we become alone, sad, mistrustful, tense, irritable and suspicious among other things. Once we haven't designated time to heal our inner child, he/she will lash out in subtle ways through out our lives relentlessly. It is begging for healing, its asking you to simply let the love in. Truth is our inner child needs healing, when we ignore it our lives will continue to suffer. Until we heal our inner child we will never reach our true potential or become our highest self. We must dig deeper to soar higher.

As children, we internalised our every short-coming or everything we perceived to have done wrong as us not being good enough or there being something wrong with us. We essentially learned to reject ourselves. We ought to become more loving and nurturing with ourselves. To heal our past hurts we must look at your past and instead of wondering what was I thinking we must think what was I learning. Because every situation in your past is molding you into the person you were meant to be. We must forgive ourselves for neglecting our inner child and make a promise to heal ourselves before it is too late. We ought to lovingly accept our inner child as he/she is. Embrace all the quirky, frail, lovable and silly parts. Remind yourself daily that you are perfect, whole and lovable just as you are. Release the hurt by loving your inner child. NOTHING can heal like love can!

Below  is what maturity looks like if you don't exhibit these indicators be sure to re-evaluate yourself. Notice the reasons why you do what you do. Begin to heal your inner child and notice that you too will begin to act in the ways explained below.

  Indicators of Emotional maturity:

• Love is sharing. Fosters a sense of security which allows vulnerability and strength. Can accept love.
• Uses emotions as an energy source; can set goals and seek solutions.
• Confronts and analyses challenges promptly, seeks many solutions and chooses the best ones. Accepts responsibility.
• Helps enhance the quality of life of their loved ones and can accept help.
• Life is a learning experience. Accepts responsibility and learns from feedback. Looks for opportunities. Moves on!
• Relaxed and confident enough to plan and achieve what they want.
• Is adaptable. A great independent worker, manager to team worker when required to. Experiences empathy and compassion.

Take time to care for your inner child. You must dig deeper to soar higher. After all you're worth it! You are destined for greatness.

xoxoxo
Heart Follower