solitude

i never imagined myself to be so busy lately... it's as if it wasn't a vacation at all... today is technically the first half day that gave me some time to sort some things out... as i came home from the COA formsem i immediately had a backlog of emails to read as well as blog entries... then i stumbled upon one email that prompted a thought in my mind... the difference of loneliness and solitude...

in both cases the person is just by himself or alone... the big difference is most probably the mindset that one has... loneliness is an unwanted experience... loneliness makes a person feel bad... fear of loneliness may lead to tragedy... one may even feel lonely while in a relationship especially a bad and unhappy one... loneliness is seen as negative... on the other hand... solitude is appreciated... solitude can give clarity of mind... solitude may be used for reflection... solitude can avoid disaster... solitude is viewed as something positive...

on a more personal note... i think that loneliness can be converted into solitude... that the feeling may be turned from something negative into something positive... something destructive into something helpful... most of us who experience loneliness tends to sulk and hide in a dark corner... but then when we are in the dark how can we ever see the light of reality... that maybe on the lighter side of things being alone may be the time to reflect... especially your priorities... to think of what is really right for you in life... it is possible for people to rush into relationships as well as to pursue the wrong person for fear of not having someone... some are also afraid to get out of a relationship for fear that no one else will come along... an irony of having someone yet still feeling lonely... i guess the challenge is to really stop and think... think of the situation and assess it... find more positive opportunities as well as outcomes... to have that positive attitude to transform loneliness into solitude...

side note: i'm thankful for all the things that i've been doing for the past two weeks... it has surely given me an ample amount of distraction to place things in perspective... hopefully this may lead to the better horizon that i've mentioned in my previous entries...