We all want to be popular.

To be liked.

To be included.

Society tells us that our value is based on the amount of people we are surrounded by, either in real life, on online in terms of followers, likes and views. That in order to be whole, we need to be half of a couple. To be important, we must never be alone.

In reality, while we need to connect with others to grow, we also need to be able to sit by ourselves in stillness and just be. And to do that, we need to recognise the difference between being alone, and being lonely.

We meet so many girls who live their daily lives surrounded by people, and still feel lonely. We also meet girls who spend lots of time by themselves, but still feel loved and appreciated.

Alone is a state of being; loneliness is a state of mind. When you’re alone you’re forced to feel those feelings you’ve been trying to avoid, and to acknowledge the thoughts you’ve been trying to drown out with noise. Being alone can also be a wonderful opportunity to sit with your own thoughts, reflect on the things that matter to you, formulate dreams and plans, and just breathe.

Being alone is doing things by yourself, but also doing them for yourself.

Being alone can be empowering, if you like yourself enough to enjoy hanging out with you.

Loneliness can be all consuming, and can stop you from finding out who you really are.  You can always find company in yourself. Loneliness is going to try to force you to find that company with another person. Everyone has a place in the world, though, and yours shouldn’t be dependent on being with someone else.

Being alone is an art; embrace it.

And breathe x