This is even WORSE than being alone...

If one of your New Year's Resolutions is to ease the pain of loneliness, I have news for you: Being in the wrong company can be far worse, as such feelings are only magnified.

Ask yourself this: Do you really think you'd feel lonelier by yourself, or in a group of people you hardly know and may have little in common with?

As shocking as it may be to some, it's perfectly normal to enjoy your own company. You don't need other people to enjoy such hobbies as reading, writing, listening to music, and exercising. Besides, sometimes you need alone time to contemplate and catch a breath of fresh air after a tough day.

In essence, being alone and being lonely aren't one and the same. The former can actually be a plus -- something one seeks for their general well-being. The latter, on the other hand, is a negative condition one generally tries to extricate themselves from.

Having others around can be a boon if you know and trust them. In the absence of such rapport, however, things can get rather awkward. You might be afraid to say something dumb. You may have different interests, beliefs, or values than others in the group (e.g., everyone drinks or has kids except you). In the end, you may feel as though you don't quite fit in.

Many of us have encountered this at work and even at family functions. People have a tendency to form cliques built around certain commonalities (e.g., age, lifestyle, etc.), and they're not always receptive to outsiders whom they construe as being "different" in some way. For example, you may feel estranged from your siblings because not only are you seven years their junior, but you're the only one who isn't married and has no children.

It's a new year and the perfect time to rectify the false notion that if you seek and enjoy time alone, you're weird, socially awkward, or depressed in some way. At the same time, it's wrongheaded to assume that the company of others -- no matter who they are or how little we know them -- will always cure nagging feelings of loneliness. If such company leaves us feeling ostracized more than anything else, it can deepen those feelings.

For those of you who have been led to believe that you can't enjoy your own company, I encourage you to give it a shot. Read a good book at the library on your own. Go out for a walk and commune with nature. Watch a movie of your own choosing by yourself. You'll quickly realize that you don't need anyone else to feel entertained or fulfilled. Being alone can be a wonderful thing so long as you allow it to be!

At the end of the day, the only person who you their undivided attention is yourself. How refreshing is it to not have to vie for your own attention with anyone else?

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