SageTree

First off I would just like to say how much joy it brings me to see community happening here and all the caring responses. Aurora, you are full of suprises, of special note.

I used to spend alot of time by myself, even now I certainly do. However the time I was thinking of was when I was living in the Midwest by myself and pretty much went to work and came home to do things with myself for almost 6 months. It was pretty challenging to get out and do things with other people, and I'm by no means a socialite now. I really truely felt that I used this alone time to really get to know my inner dialog and what I was thinking. This , in the end, left me with a base of self knowledge that helped me to see that happiness was propegrated by mind. If I wanted people to smile I had to smile as well. I looked through and past many of my assumptions about life, including the 'facts' I thought I was sure of.

Try living in the moment. The journey is the destination, that say. You are here now, for now. Life is always changing, we only have to take notice. In time, with patience life slows and we see the change more easily with a calm mind.

I feel that doing a mental practice of gratitude might be useful to you. Looking for the small things like a cold glass of water or enough toilet paper. Look at the sky and notice how it changes even when we aren't looking at it. It's a monument to fluxation. Take time to be happy about the small things in life. A good bite of food a kind look from a stranger or seeing how your's effects others. How the grass feels in your feet or a pleasant walk. Simply try to notice these small acheivements in life, notice a deep breath, and how good it feels, but also how it passes away as you take the next. Notice what gives you the moments of barability in life and this practice of seeing the good in small things will surely start to move into many interesting places you might have never notice you've taken for granted.

The mindfullness itself can be the sense of pleasure and gratitude. Thankfully make note how your feet feel when you walk or how your gums touch your teeth...what can you notice when you are sitting still? What it touching your skin, what does the parade of thoughts look like in your mind?

Being ever thankful for this time we get to spend in solitude, as it give rise to knowing yourself more, even in the simplest sense of noticing confusion. Don't get caught up in WHY its pleasant or a learning moment at first, just enjoy and recognize the good things with a simple touch.

Metta
Sage

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