Sure to be alone. And that’s alright.

In all of life only a few things are certain. Firstly, no one makes it out alive (morbid, I know). Secondly, as long as we are on this earth, we will be with ourselves. Circumstances are sure to change, people will come and go (even those we love the most). You will always be with you. I will always be with me. There is no escaping it, no dropping it, no quitting it. No one or nothing can ever take you away from yourself. You’re stuck with you and gifted with you all at the same time. 

Have you ever really sat with yourself? Like on a regular basis? Have you taken the time to consciously get acquainted? I think we take this for granted. We’ve known ourselves for a damn long time, but do we actually know ourselves? It’s pretty easy to make assumptions about who we are and what we like. It’s also pretty easy to treat ourselves like the lowest on the totem pole. Because we’ll always be here. So no matter how poorly we treat ourselves, we will never leave. We can’t. And we won’t. 

I know it has taken me a minute to stop. To stop and ask myself what seem like ridiculously easy questions, but actually have taken me a while to answer. What do I like? What do I want? What are my nonnegotiables? What impact do I want to have? How do I want to be? I could go on, but let’s not go wild. These questions are constantly being answered, re-answered, scratched out and re-answered again. Our world has given us a million and one tools to facilitate distraction. There are so many things we can cling to to avoid being in our own company. We are driven to seek connection, it’s human nature. There is a disconnect though. We often downplay the importance of connecting with ourselves. The thought of putting down my phone, of not reaching out to someone in my pool of special people, of really letting go of all distractions, of being only with myself terrifies me. 

And yet, I’m the most certain connection I will ever have. And same for you. The most reliable. The most permanent. How extraordinary, peaceful, and comforting would it be to truly enjoy who you are.  May your life be augmented by countless experiences that lift you and light you up. May it be saturated with people who love, support, and bring you joy. But if all of those things fail to exist, wouldn’t it be nice to know that above all else, you are worth your company, you are all the love you need, and the rest is not to be relied on, but to be appreciated. You are the only person you’ll never be without. You are the only person you can rely on to always be there. No matter what you do or don’t do, no matter what happens to or because of you. You are the biggest constant you will ever have. 

Take time for yourself. Doesn’t it make sense to invest in the longest lasting relationship you’ll ever be in? Shoot. I think so.