If you’re someone who values reflection, curiosity, or just a few quiet minutes without someone asking where their socks are, you’re in the right place. Today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day dive into solitude—not the lonely kind, but the rich, soul-recharging kind. Let’s unpack why your best self might just be hiding in the quiet corners.
Thought of the Day:
“He who does not enjoy solitude will not love freedom.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Schopenhauer was the kind of guy who probably had a favorite reading chair and zero tolerance for small talk. But this quote? It’s a mic drop.
The older I get, the more I realize that solitude isn’t the absence of something—it’s the presence of everything we usually overlook. When I’m alone, there’s no performance, no need to be “on.” Just me, my thoughts, maybe a half-finished cup of coffee, and if I’m lucky the faint sound of my kids not needing anything for five whole minutes.
It’s tempting to romanticize freedom as grand adventures or financial independence. But real freedom? It’s being alone with yourself and not needing to escape. If that sentence made you uncomfortable, congratulations, you’re not alone. (Irony intended.)
If solitude feels heavy, I invite you to reframe it: not as isolation, but as insulation. Protection from the noise, the pressure, and sometimes, even the well-meaning chaos of connection.
This post pairs well with another recent reflection: Being Kind to Yourself Is Mostly About Your Thoughts—a reminder that peace often starts inside.
Question of the Day:
What is your favorite thing to do when you are alone?
But when you have real alone time, the kind that doesn’t come with guilt or a ticking timer, what do you do?
Me? I write. I think. I stretch out diagonally on the bed like I own it (because technically I do, but try telling that to a toddler at 2 a.m.). I read things that aren’t about how to fold a fitted sheet. I breathe without an audience.
Alone time isn’t just a luxury, it’s maintenance. It’s when we remember who we are without all the noise. It’s when creativity sneaks back in, when hard truths whisper instead of shout, and when clarity shows up in sweatpants.
And sometimes, alone time is just… doing absolutely nothing. Which, in a world obsessed with hustle, is its own quiet rebellion.
If you liked this question, you might also enjoy this:
Join the Conversation
What’s your go-to solo activity? Reading? Baking? Talking to yourself in funny voices? (Again, no judgment.) Drop a comment and let’s swap ideas.
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