The Blessing of Being Alone

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal famously wrote: "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone."

We live in a world obsessed with distraction.  Whether this comes in the form of work, entertainment, socializing, or technology. We find it difficult to not be “productive” and we view time as being wasted if we do not utilize every moment by filling it with some activity. However, if we allowed ourselves more time to sit quietly and undistracted we would find ourselves more easily content and less in need of constant stimulation or social interaction.

I think a great challenge for this Advent would be to spend time alone, uninterrupted and undistracted.

1.      Remove technology

Sitting alone requires that laptops, TVs, phones, technology of any kind, be put away. Phones are the greatest form of distraction that we have. The constant connection to others, notifications, social media, entertainment, information…far too much to do all at our fingertips. Never satisfying but always willing to distract us from having to think too hard or face ourselves. Now, phones can, of course, be a very good thing as well, but for the sake of sitting quietly they must be the first thing to go.

2.      Spend time in adoration

The perfect place to try this out is in adoration. You are not completely alone, of course, but this is between you and God whether you are in adoration or sitting alone in your bedroom. God is present in all places. Adoration is the perfect way to spend time sitting in silence while also spending quality time with the Lord. Come to Him, ready to be intentionally undistracted.

3.      Spend time in nature

Getting out into nature is another good way to spend time alone. It is a bit more distracting as there is often more going on around you, but can be peaceful and a good way to be with yourself. Leave the phone behind, leave music behind, just let yourself be in nature without any distractions other than what the outdoors has to offer.

4.      Sit in a room alone

Finally, to most directly emulate the opening quote, find a room all to yourself and sit alone. Pray and allow yourself to look at your own thoughts. Let your worries, fears, anxieties, joys, what you are thankful for, all freely come to mind. Work on being content without busy work around you, without someone to talk to. Be content with yourself. If more people were content with themselves and able to face their own thoughts, the world may have more secure, happy individuals.