Journey
April 2024
The magic of aloneness
If you are honest with yourself, you will realise that much of the ‘doing’ in your life is an escape from facing your truth, introspects Shivi Verma
The tragedy of life is that when things are going well, time passes by too quickly. Childhood, carefree days, holidays, and relationships that truly make you feel special, all come with a small shelf life. The daily grind of life such as work, business, household chores, health and finance related challenges occupies us so much that before we realise life has passed us by and we are left wondering where those years went.
In hindsight, if we reflect sincerely, we will find that though we have wanted solutions to our problems, we have consciously avoided introspecting and busied ourselves with tasks ranging from the mundane to the important. On soul-searching, we will realise that our attempts are mostly aimed at occupying ourselves, so much so that we don’t have to sit with ourselves in aloneness.
For it’s not possible to be alone and not reflect on your life. And it’s not possible for your inner Self to not throw images related to your errors, slips, mistakes, or sins. It can be frightening. For this very reason, people go to great lengths to keep extremely busy. On weekdays, they have work, and on weekends, they have outings, visits, movies, partying, and drinking.
The less you are with yourself the more you can evade accountability, guilt, and inner honesty.
However, for those who do not fear meeting themselves, solitude is God’s gift. They use this time to reflect, assess, contemplate, meditate, and change course if needed. The biggest jewels of thought, philosophy, or anything deep or innovative are birthed in solitude. Introspective people have very little to feel ashamed, guilty, or remorseful about. And if they do, they take measures to compensate, learn their lessons, and not repeat their mistakes.
This habit straightens up their life, puts their priorities in order, and leaves little to no room for anguish or despair, which can be felt when sitting alone with your thoughts.
When such a state dawns upon you, you no longer seek external stimulation to enjoy life. An inner landscape that is free of blemishes, stains, or bruises is the abode of the Divine. Now you no longer reminisce about bygone days of the bliss of childhood, a brief but unforgettable fling, or a memorable holiday you are unable to afford currently. The present moment with all its languid beauty and splendour unfolds before your eyes. Just sitting with yourself, savouring the flow of breath in your body, watching the morning sun filtering through your window, the gentle sway of trees and bushes, and the soft caress of wind can fill your cup of bliss. No disturbing thoughts impinge on your solitary tryst with the Universe as you listen, feel, and absorb Existence into every pore of your being.
Thus charged, your life becomes a beautiful symphony of concentration and relaxation, discipline and leisure, and hard work and pleasure. Furthermore, your dependence on human company to fill your vacant hours drastically declines. You become choosy about whom you wish to exchange your energy with and allow only the most refined people in your auric field. Your downtime becomes not only your time of unwinding but of attuning yourself to the cosmos. When you live like this, you can be sure that you are being hand-held by the Divine.