January 2020 | COLLECTIVE
Collective: The Art of Being Alone
By Tricia Stewart Shiu
“Beautiful People” – Jason Upton
Some people run from it, others crave it and for some it thoroughly nourishes their soul. Depending on how it’s viewed, being alone can be a blessing or a curse.
The inevitable truth is, at some point, we will all be alone. So what are you going to do about it?
Inevitable doesn’t have to be a bad word. In fact, many introverts find aloneness essential as a way to recharge their batteries. Moreover, as the bulk of the labor force has been outsourced or moved to a consulting category, a wave of entrepreneurial thought leaders have been born. Without the structure of a typical work environment, both business and personal independent sensibilities must be cultivated in unique and unconventional ways.
ARTISTIC ALLEGORY | LE MOT JUSTE
But back to the burning question …
How can you maximize your “alone time“?
First of all, stop calling it alone time. Imagine instead that you were communing with a collective intelligence. By doing so, you are creating a foundation on which you can build an entirely new manner of receiving precious creative insights, intuitive hits, loads of resources and, most importantly, a reservoir of peace.
Who couldn’t use all of those things?
Einstein said some of the best ideas can come while in the shower. Makes sense, since when you are alone in the shower and hitherto occupied with any manner of ablutions, your mind is free to relax and allow the flow of ideas to pour forth.
So, while you are experiencing your newly found foundation, you can actually perform some self-care, in the process.
Imagine the freedom of having no one to judge, bear witness, or interrupt your personal process.
In “PMA the Science of Success,” Napoleon Hill says the following:
“Accurate thinkers never act on freely offered opinions without giving them the closest scrutiny; they permit no one to do their thinking for them. They obtain facts, information, and counsel from others, but they retain the right to accept or reject it in whole or in part.“
This type of process requires, no mandates, a separateness and clarity only offered by being alone. To think for oneself is one of the most precious gifts one can offer to oneself. Of course, it is always helpful to have other people handy for support or suggestions, but there is no substitute for taking time out to double and triple check with yourself.
It is only then that one can approach any situation with clarity and confidence.
Hill also says, “Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.”
Gender references aside, Mr. Hill’s point is timelessly accurate. To truly gain the power necessary to transform one’s thoughts, focus and concentration are required and, typically, experienced while one is alone and bringing dreams to reality, requires a deep relaxation and inward focus.
Finally, as for experiencing the collective consciousness, being truly alone is the only way to do so.
Depending on your desire and personal preference, dipping a toe into the quiet pool of self-discovery may be a challenge, at first.
The gift will come over time with practice and the rewards maybe surprising.
Perhaps you might discover a part of yourself you never knew? Maybe you will remember something, long forgotten? One thing is for sure, the stronger the foundation of personal fortitude, the more profound the outcome.
Being alone is truly a burgeoning artform — one that can connect you with a collective intelligence, create a foundation on which you can forge new pathways to receive precious creative insights, garner intuitive hits, gather many resources and, most importantly, a reservoir of peace.
Imagine if everyone took the journey of honing the art of being alone. Just imagine a world of presence, creativity and peace.
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