Loneliness is an insidious state of mind. As you’re working to fill in the spaces in your life that have been stripped away for reasons over which you feel powerless, it takes advantage by nibbling at the edges of your life that are now outside your focus: No friends to hug or join for coffee; No one to whom you can speak your truth; No events to which you can look forward. It’s not that you really mind being alone for as an introvert, it’s needed for balance. Still, balance is key. Too much aloneness morphs into loneliness without conscious intention. It inexplicably imbalances your physical world, as well as influencing your emotional world. Its very insidiousness diverts your focus by sparking aches, pains, fears, and sadness, engendering depression for all your troubles. Loneliness only needs sadness in any form to magically turn your world upside down. Strength of purpose will win the day for some. For others, purpose can be as elusive as the infamous gold at the end of the rainbow. Instead, self-pity and bitterness set up house which only feeds the beast of loneliness. Despite the heavy burden of our afflictions, we must first seek a small purpose in our life, shower it with passion until our ills slip away. Moments of control will win the day over self-pity and bitterness and open our hearts, unafraid of the future and leaving the past behind. ©DWilliamsen |