The art of being alone

There is a big difference between being alone and lonely. Alone is when you enjoy your own company. Lonely is when you feel left out and wish there was someone there to notice and talk to you.

I love being alone and sometimes people find that very strange. I'm not a aloof and loner, OK maybe a bit of loner, but what I have learnt is the art of being alone and enjoy my own company.

I travel by myself. I go to the cinema by myself. I go to the theatre by myself. I dine out by myself. And it's not that I don't won't company, it's just that I've learnt to enjoy it and don't give a toss what other people think. Yes, because that's what people do sometimes. They talk and look at you with pity. Especially since I'm a woman. Sometimes you get treated with less respect as well, like you’re a second class customer.

If that's the downside of doing things by myself the upside is that I get to talk to people I never ever would have talked to. I get to experience and see exactly those things I want to, selfish yes I know, and I don't need to think about anyone besides myself. Again quite selfish, and probably why I like it so much. It's just me and I can do whatever I feel like.

Most of all when doing things by myself, I’ve learnt to trust myself. To trust my instinct and gut feeling. To be cocky and stand up for myself. To be a strong and confident woman. So it's not all that bad to be alone, but to be honest company is always nice.