How to Cure Loneliness

You’re a smart, interesting, charming rockstar—and you know it. Every day you’re working your darndest to create a life you love, a life that really looks and feels like your most radiant, unadulterated, luminous self. And while every day isn’t perfect, you know each one is bringing you closer to who and where you want to be.

But in the far off corners of your mind, a whispering little voice keeps reminding you how *off* things really are. That you’re missing something–you’re not quite as far along the path as you’d like to think.

So you work harder. You do more. You make sure you look good, sound good, and do good as things get checked off your “To Do” list. And people celebrate you for it. They want to be in your presence, shower you with accolades, celebrate your accomplishments and throw parades for your contributions.

Over time, the nagging whispers are subsumed by busyness and validation so you keep pushing through. You fill your life with more errands, activities, and obligations. From the outside it looks like you have it all together. And sometimes it even feels that way.

But deep down inside you know something is still missing.

Something so big, you’re afraid you may never be able to acquire it.

It’s only when you finally take a load off or collapse from exhaustion (whichever comes first) that the whispers resume their call.

This time you’re too tired to distract yourself or fight them off.
This time the whispers wake you up and the truth washes over you with unrelenting abandon.

You are lonely.

You are lonely in a way that aches even in a room full of people you love and appreciate.

And no accolade, accomplishment, or amour is ever going to fill the hole. Nothing external will.

Loneliness isn’t a reflection of being alone.

Because we are the only ones who will be with us our entire lives, in one sense, we are always alone.

(Of course, we are also inextricably connected to each other, the Divine and all of creation, so in another sense, we are never alone. But I digress.)

Loneliness indicates that you are missing pieces of yourself.

It is a sign that you that are not fully expressing, illuminating, or honoring who you truly are.

• What do you need to say that hasn’t yet been articulated?
• What are you being called to do that you haven’t yet galvanized?
• What desires to be created that you haven’t yet germinated?
• What parts of you are yearning to be held tender and close?

When you feel lonely, it is time to reclaim, recover and embody your full self.

Being a sacred witness to your broken, bruised, seemingly unpleasant and otherwise unwanted pieces dissolves loneliness.

Honoring, celebrating and articulating who you truly are fills the voids that were once covered by external validation and incessant busyness.

When you trust everything as a useful, benevolent teacher, the reunion is simple, holy, beautiful.

This is true liberation.

It’s time to come home to yourself.

All you’ve got to do is show up.