The Lonely Truth Surrounding Your Personal Growth

Loneliness has a very interesting way of showing up in our lives. Whether it’s while we hit rock bottom or vibrate to a higher state of being, it seems loneliness has a way of following us all.

Unfortunately, everyone you ask would probably state the same things surrounding the subject of being lonely; “It’s an awful feeling!”

However, I hope in writing this I can share with you the truth encircling aloneness, but first, let’s explore each level of the mountain.

Rock bottom. I’ve been there, and it is not a place you want to live. Nothing seems to have a purpose. Beautiful things like flowers, grass, and trees can surround you near the forest floor, but when you feel sunken into a shadowy pit, none of that stuff seems to matter. Rock bottom feels dark and dreary. Most of the time there is a feeling of remaining stuck, either because you don’t own hiking boots to even begin climbing, or because you don’t believe yourself capable of the journey. While this is not a level you want to find yourself living in, it can be a miraculous place to visit. Because when you’re at rock bottom the only way you can begin to move is up!

Many people never experience rock bottom. Most remain stuck near the middle where they slowly lose their footing, end up falling back a bit, but eventually end up climbing right back to where they were. These are the people who maintain their existence within their comfort zone. They don’t want to climb too high, because the higher they go the more risk they have to take. On the flip side, if they get too low then they’ll be stranded staring at the bugs in the dirt, rather than what could be seen on the horizon. At least when they can view what’s on the horizon, they can have an idea of what it looks like from the top without actually having to climb the full distance.

Then you have those who reside at the summit. They see the world for what it is. They’ve endured multiple challenging circumstances and events but continued to push on anyway. They’ve taken risks, started over, and climbed in faith instead of in fear. These individuals overcame every obstacle it took to get to the top. The best part? We are ALL capable of reaching the summit and overcoming what the ones at the top have!

People roam within all areas of the climb. Some remain in the dirt, others enjoy the comfort in the middle, and a few handfuls make the climb to the top.

Many of us observe where others are at on their journey and whether or not they decide to stop or keep going. Most of the time, the ones who stop altogether are the ones who let solitude disguise itself as loneliness. When we feel lonely, we don’t always make the best decisions for ourselves and that keeps up from lacing up our hiking boots and making that climb to the top.

The people in the dirt feel as if they have no one who cares about them or believes in them, so they continue down a self-destructive path that doesn’t get them very far. They get submerged in the quicksand and end up waiting for someone or something to pull them out.

The middle people look at both the individuals, above and below them, and feel as if they are fighting to be noticed. It can feel lonely being among a mass amount of people and hardly being appreciated for who you are or what you have to offer. Many end up finding contentment in remaining where they are at.

Lastly, the people who have made the climb to the pinnacle feel alone because most of the population will never understand them or be able to resonate with their lifestyle. The view from the top can only be experienced for oneself because it sounds completely counterfeit to the individuals who are still enduring the struggles of the climb or who haven’t yet started.

The point? Every level will experience loneliness. But instead of seeing it as a negative experience, we need to start shifting our mindset from lonely and sad to independent and empowered.

Being alone is very difficult for many humans because we are social creatures. It can be very hard not to tie negativity to an isolated situation.

If we began to shift our mindset surrounding this subject, being alone could bring massive amounts of opportunity to us.

For those experiencing rock bottom and believing no one cares for them because their loved ones cut them off, they lost their friends, or they never had anyone in the first place, start seeing the solitude as a possibility to connect with yourself. When we connect with ourselves, we begin to tap into our strengths by recognizing how far we’ve come in life regardless of what unfortunate events have been thrown our way. We will reflect on how poorly we’ve been treating ourselves. Hopefully, we realize we deserve better, and that “better” comes from us and not from the people or circumstances around us.

For those settling in the middle, feeling like they are fighting to be recognized or seen as valuable, start seeing solitude as a way to tap into your potential. When you are struggling to be noticed you naturally begin to see what you have to offer that others don’t. This is a great time to start setting goals! Begin to embrace your uniqueness and start letting that carry you to a higher peak on the mountain instead of fearfully standing in someone else’s shadow or trying to follow in someone else’s footsteps.

Lastly, for those who have worked their way up to the crest of the mountain and find themselves feelings enlightened, but completely misunderstood, allow the solitude to keep you humble in the discovery of yourself and life. Continue to try and use your position to lead others towards a life they never knew possible and a view you can’t put into words. Utilize the solitude to continue learning and connecting with yourself. Eventually, you will realize you have never been alone and that you’ve touched more lives than most do during their time here on earth.

No matter where you find yourself at on life’s mountain, realize that being alone is PART of the journey. It is the only part that keeps you from getting distracted from your purpose in life. Surrounding yourself with family, friends, or possible love interests is wonderful, but when you rely on ANY of them to bring you a sense of abundance or happiness than you, my friend, are distracting yourself from getting to the top of that mountain.

Once you realize that you are your best company, you finally begin to understand how valuable and powerful you really are. You begin to accept that NOONE but yourself can keep you from making that climb. So, grab your boots, sling on your backpack, and start ascending. You got a mountain to climb!