Throughout the majority of my life, I was always surrounded by people whether they were my family members, friends, teammates, or acquaintances. Once I entered college, this completely shifted given that just like the many other things that changed, my social circle was one of the major changes. Trying to figure out how to be content with my own company was challenging, and although I did not stay lonely with time, it was still extremely overwhelming in the moment. Some may find it fairly simple to create friendships in college due to having family in town or previous friends that chose the same university, but for me, this was not the case. Do not get me wrong- it wasn’t easy. There were many days where I cried as I ate my meals alone, dreaded seeing my family and hometown friends virtually, and seriously could not stand the thought of always being alone. With every bad comes a good, and luckily enough, I’m happy to say that I was eventually able to see the brighter side of things. Maybe I didn’t have others to accompany me like I was used to, but I did have somebody in my circle that was even better- myself. It took me a while to realize it, but in my opinion, there is no better person to spend time getting to know than yourself.
It’s crucial to create a strong relationship with yourself given that if all else fails, you will have yourself unconditionally. Through simply spending time alone, you can learn a whole lot about yourself. You get a better idea of what you like, and don’t like; what you’re good at, and what you aren’t so good at. You also become more familiar with your core values, goals, and passions. Once you have mastered being peaceful on your own and have a better understanding of yourself, you become so passionate about yourself and what you contribute to this world. This will allow you to make healthier decisions that will align you with where you wish to be in life.
Even if you don’t have people to join in on doing the things you enjoy, this does not mean you can’t do them alone or find activities to do solo. Do things that make you happy, find new hobbies, and find productive activities that will benefit you as a whole. Whatever it is that you may like, do it and remind yourself that you are considered company too- the best company, actually. All in all, loneliness is a blessing in disguise, but only if you choose to see it that way. Through your loneliness, you are more than likely to discover a true friend for life.