The difference between being lonely and being alone.

This is easily confused and interchanged colloquially. I have always had a hard time in understanding the difference. Here is my attempt at analyzing them. Firstly is there a difference ? Absolutely. Both are oceans apart.

Being lonely comes from a state of fear. A longing for connection, a desire to attach. It heralds a looking for oneself outside of oneself. It can feel like an ache, or pain that may be constant. The gaping hole in the chest of unfulfilled dreams and goals, and looking outward and elsewhere for the void to be filled. Loneliness brings forth more confusion and self depression. Loneliness begets more loneliness. It is a state of a chaotic mind.

When we are alone we feel that it is the same as being lonely having not found the right person or persons to complete us. Yet being alone is a state of awareness and a sense of an empowered self. Being alone forces one to explore the hidden parts of oneself that can never be realized when we are constantly searching outward. Being alone affords the time for self understanding and realizations of what do we want for ourselves and for another human being. It originates from the opposite of fear, namely love.

Being alone allows the idea of becoming complete to flourish and recognizing what to do to not becoming lonely. Being alone is a wonderful chance to discover parts of yourself that you had ignored. Some would say that being alone reminds of everything you don’t have. True, yet only if seen through the minds eye of fear and not the heart’s perspective of self love. Being alone recovers the breath as you quietly spend time enjoying activities in the solitude of time, while being lonely wastes those breaths shouting at the wind.

Where being lonely will force you to try to find companionship in another person, being alone will force you to find the companion that has never left your side. Yourself.

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I love you