As one being of singleness for a rather longish period of time, I've been granted the - let's just call it - gift of lonesomeness. That may sound a bit harsh, even unattractive perhaps, because, after all, isn't the goal to be the chick that has the strong man to travel around the globe with, make hard decisions in unison, lean on in tricky periods of life?! Well, I've got news. I'm powerful on my own. A bit arrogant? Let me explain. Solitude has been a gift to me. A blessing. I realize this may sound contradictory. But, imagine if you hadn't a time to experience your full potential, to have the opportunity to see what you're really made of... Your capabilities, talents may still be unknown. I've been granted, let me repeat, the opportunity to see my own abilities, from my own point-of-view. I know where I stand. I have a strong sense of who I am. And for a while this was not so. Bringing someone into your life is an incredible experience. However, it can be detriment to who you are as a person. Learning and growing can be stunted when you bring someone else into your life. This is not a bash on being powerful in a #GOALS relationship. If you are in a strong, fruitful relationship, living to your fullest potential, this is to be praised. As long as you are growing, having the support you need and being the support in your partner’s life, then all is in your favor. But, for most of us, we require a moment or series of moments to precede this great chapter in our life. Knowing who you are, perhaps not in entirety - because life is a never-ending puzzle to figure out through trial & error - is vital to becoming the stable, passionate person in someone else’s life. We are meant for connections, relationships. But there are important steps within the process on the way to expecting a valuable end-result. There is beauty in solitude; if you are in a state of solitude, you are standing in the presence of opportunity to flourish. REALIZATIONS IN A STATE OF COMPLETE SOLITUDE: *You begin to realize what you're capable of. *Your attention if fully focused on what you want, which sounds selfish, but allows you to grow yourself more quickly. *You begin to notice others in relationships, and see the characteristics you may potentially want/or could do away away with. *You take experiences, lessons, & hardships on your own, taking full impact and the benefits there. *You have more reason to love yourself, with healthy inner conversation. *You form a more specific set of goals, based on your knowledge of only your dreams. *You avoid unnecessary stress, and bickering that will inevitably come in abundance later (haha). *You are somewhat empowered by being the single one in the friend group, the one who's free for whatever reason (they don't need to know). *You are instantly more encouraged to be on your top game because there is a sense of needing to make things happen, complete. When you are with someone there is a tendency to get to a point of relaxation. Everyone is different, but in some area in life nearly all can agree!! *You are better prepared for your next relationship given time, if you've just come out of one. Was this helpful or relatable?! Drop a comment below... xx, Miss E.M. (Images taken in Annecy.)