On being alone

I spent Saturday evening alone. One of the things I am learning is to approve of myself being by myself. I tend to think being alone means I have failed at making friends. Thankfully, as I let go of that perspective, I am finding I appreciate my alone time and use it engaged in activities that I enjoy.

So with my evening alone, I tried to watch TV but failed. It was the USC/Nebraska football game. It seemed like it might fulfill me, or entertain me at least, instead I found myself pulled to more important things. I couldn't get over how manufactured the whole thing appeared. There is a lot of time, money and energy spent creating television entertainment. It obviously works for a lot of people, but not for me.

Instead of watching, I emailed my best friend Greg. Greg makes this world a better place and I told him so. Greg inspires me to live a fulfilling life and I am blessed by our friendship. I have known him longer than any unrelated person, any friend; Beth the exception. Like her too, he lovingly challenges my assumptions. He provides perspectives that I use to aid my growth. I am glad I decided to use my time to reach out to him.

So if I find myself alone, or even make myself alone, I practice being fully myself. I engage in those activities I truly value. And it is when I am fully myself that I approve of myself and vise versa. So I am doing things I enjoy, that align with my values and am able to enjoy being alone as much as I enjoy being with other people.