Solitude

Have you ever been alone? Not alone in terms of lonely but having a really peaceful mind of being alone..just you finding your own peace of mid. I found a really good writing about solitude from Zen Habits. I think it's really important for us to be alone with our peace of mind everyday, even for only 10-15 minutes a day. When you look up in a dictionary, you'll find some meanings of solitude:

1. (a.) state of being alone, or withdrawn from society; a lonely life; loneliness.
2. (a.) Remoteness from society; destitution of company; seclusion; -- said of places; as, the solitude of a wood.
3. (a.) solitary or lonely place; a desert or wilderness.

The article below is more directed toward solitude in terms of having yourself withdrawn from society. You don't have to go someplace outside the city to find this place. You can even use your own room to find solitude. I believe that once you've come back from your "solitude" period, you'll be able to enter the society with a fresher mind =)

The Benefits of Solitude

The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: it’s only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts.

Just a few of the benefits from solitude:

• time for thought
• in being alone, we get to know ourselves
• we face our demons, and deal with them
• space to create
• space to unwind, and find peace
• time to reflect on what we’ve done, and learn from it
• isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice
• quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

There are many more benefits, but that’s to get you started. The real benefi

ts of solitude cannot be expressed through words, but must be found in doing.

How to Find Solitude

You start by disconnecting.

Take every means of connecting with others, and sever them. Disconnect from email, from Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, from forums and social media, from instant messaging and Skype, from news websites and blogs. Turn off your mobile device and phones.

Turn off the computer … unless you’re going to use the computer to create, in which case, shut off the Internet, close your browser, and shut down every other program used to connect with others.

The next steps depend on which of two strategies you use:

1. Holing yourself up. This can be done in your office, by shutting the door and/or using headphones and the calming music of your choice. If possible, let coworkers know you can’t be disturbed during a certain block of your day. Or it can be done at home, by finding a quiet space, shutting the door if you can, or using headphones. The key is to find a way to shut out the outside world, including co-workers or those who live with you.

2. Getting away. My favorite way to find solitude, actually. Get out the door, and enjoy the outdoors. Take a walk, find a park or a beach or a mountain, find a quiet coffee shop, find a shady spot to rest. People watch, or nature watch.

(images from flickr and thecoolhunter)