Saturday 19 October 2013

Combat Loneliness

What do you do when you are alone at home?  What do you do when you live by yourself and have to face an empty house every night?

I always think being alone and lonely is two different feelings.  I remember when I was young, a good friend of mine told me she was not alone but she was lonely.  In looking back, I think it was only a sort of teenager blue.  We did not really know what loneliness was about back then.

However, as I grew elder, I figured loneliness is a feeling that no one cares about us, no one extends a helping hand to us when we feel vulnerable or need advice.  Hence, I always offer my listening ears when my friends want to pour their feelings, or lend them my shoulders when they want to lend on and cry.  I have also learned to be strong and the art of “follow the flow”.  I know the importance of accepting ourselves and content with ourselves.

Few months ago, I started an assignment for a client who she has many different businesses.  She is very rich and spends a lot of money on making herself pretty and happy, she even pays some of her consultants unreasonably more than what they are entitled to so as to make them like her and will not leave her.  She always talks on phone no matter she is in office, at home or insider a car, she just cannot let herself quiet down or be alone.  She is very hard working and busy, may be, but to my eyes, she is just lonely.

Yes, loneliness consumes our souls but I do not buy the idea of consuming our minds and monies to buying people to accompany us.  If it can ever bring a moment of comfort, it will not be long term.  I think what one should do to combat loneliness is to fill our hearts with peace, notwithstanding if we are alone or not.

Yes, the ones who will not leave us and grow old with us are simply ourselves!