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Can you be alone and happy?
Some people would say it’s impossible. But it’s not only possible to fly solo as a fabulous singleton. You can even enjoy it. When most people think about going out to dinner solo, they worry about how others will judge them. For better or worse, the truth is that most people are so focused on themselves that they won’t even notice what anyone else is doing. So learn stop worrying and go have fun!
The first rule of being alone and happy is that you are awesome. No, I don’t know you. But I know you’re awesome. You are valuable. You deserve to take up space, explore places you’ve never been, and have fun. And you definitely don’t need to have a plus-one to validate your existence.
If you’ve ever experienced FOMO (that’s “fear of missing out”) you know how painful it can be. Everyone else seems to be out there having fun, taking flawless selfies and being generally fabulous. But creeping on your friends list is not going to help you.
People put their best selves on social media, so don’t be fooled into thinking that everyone else is having a fabulous time together while you’re alone. Get off the ‘Gram and go do something interesting.
When you go solo, there are a ton of benefits. For one thing, you don’t have to do the “I don’t know, where do you want to go to dinner” routine. You can just go do what you want. If you want to check out a movie, just go by yourself and don’t worry about coordinating with 10 conflicting schedules.
And shopping alone is ah-may-zing! You can take as long as you want…plus you’ll learn to trust your own taste instead of relying on someone else to tell you what to think.
When you’re with a group, you’re insulated from the world. You don’t look around nearly as much. And you probably don’t strike up conversations with random people. Talking to strangers is one of the most interesting things you can do, so it’s a shame that most people don’t try it.
Give a stranger a compliment or ask them a question. Chat with the person next to you in the checkout line or chat with another singleton at a coffee shop. Even if you’re not destined to be besties, you might learn something new or get a different perspective on the world.
The power of being alone and happy can ripple through your life, creating a tremendous sense of freedom. When you realize that you don’t have to rely on other people to shield you, new possibilities open up. Suddenly, you realize that you can travel anywhere in the world by yourself if you want to. You can pursue an interest or a passion without worrying about finding a buddy or getting someone else’s approval first.
The true gift of learning to be alone and happy is discovering your self-confidence. And with that, you can do literally anything.
