Feeling alone and feeling lonely are two different things. To feel lonely is to feel like you are in an empty room even when you could be in a room full of people. You feel like you are the only person on Earth and all you really want is some company. To feel alone is to feel like no one can relate or you simply have no one in general or no one to talk to. But being alone is different than both of these feelings. Learning to be alone is life-changing.

Step One: Learn to be selfish

If you learn to be less concerned with other’s needs and opinions, everything gets a lot easier. You realize that the only thing you truly have to worry about is yourself. The only opinion you really need is your own because you only have one person to please: you. This realization changes everything. Once you learn the only concern is you then the sky’s the limit. There’s nothing holding you back from doing anything other than yourself. You can go anywhere you can be whoever you want to be dress how you want say what you truly mean even if it hurts some feelings along the way. Who cares just do it.

Step Two: Realize your freedom

Once you learn to live for yourself there is nothing to stop you. You can pack your shit right now and get in your car and drive. That is called freedom. Everyone is free to do what they want and make any kind of choice they want. Not many people use their freedom to the fullest because they worry about other people or they worry about getting in trouble. Apparently, America is the land of the free but most people are still working their 9-5 Monday thru Friday and pay taxes and dream of retirement. How is that freedom? Retire now stop paying taxes live off the grid what is stopping these people from doing that? Oh yeah, themselves. Being alone, being selfish and realizing your true freedom as a human are the best things someone can do. So many doors will be opened along the way some doors that no one ever knew they existed because they never took the chance.

Step Three: Staying occupied

Just because someone is comfortable being alone and comfortable being selfish doesn’t mean they don’t feel those feelings of feeling lonely or alone. Everyone can feel that way and that is fine because that is also part of human nature. But when you want to be alone and live your freedom these feelings can be distracting and bring you down and make you forget about all of these freedoms. The best way to not get brought down by these feelings is to keep yourself occupied. For example, when you one day run away and leave everything behind you could find yourself in the position of “now what?” To avoid this position you have to keep things moving, always have something to do, something to see, read, or create. There is a surplus of things to do, see and create you just have to keep your mind fresh and your eyes open. Opportunity is around every corner. There is always something to do when nothing is holding you back.

“Being alone is a power that few can handle” -Desirae Mitchell