#81 SOLITUDE vs ISOLATION

There are two types of being alone. The first is isolation. In isolation one feels totally cut off from everyone and everything. Feeling utterly alone and disconnected. You would feel outside of life, and outside of the universal flow and not yourself. There is nothing lonelier than isolation. 



One can feel isolated when we hold too tightly to the need to be right. You feel it when you act in blame and judgement. This feeling is not exclusive to being physically alone but can follow you even in a room full of people. It can become your persona. The proverbial “black cloud.” 

Then there is solitude, the second type of being alone. Solitude can be the most surefire way to realize and feel that you are never alone.  Solitude offers utter connection to all of life. True solitude is when God announces Itself in your soul. 

It is my belief that one can experience solitude by letting go of the busy world and turning inward. It can be a spiritual practice, in nature or in creative work. Rather than disconnecting yourself, solitude makes you aware of your best connections. 

Isolation detracts. Solitude enriches. In isolation, we lose ourselves. In solitude, we find ourselves again and again. We should all indoctrinate pieces of solitude every day and cherish them. They show that your inner life takes precedence over your busy life. Look for the moments of awareness that you are connected with something Infinite, the place where the Creative Muse gets to work through you. Solitude can be as healing as our best friends.