When I was 13 years old, I realized the popular kids were not always happy – they just looked really happy when they were busy hanging out with friends (which was often, but not always). When they went home and found themselves alone, they suffered the same withdrawal that I did when they thought too hard about it (some hyper-social kids are never comfortable alone and have worse withdrawals than anyone else). We find ourselves at our lowest points at home left alone with nothing but our thoughts. In rough patches, these lulls sap our energy, optimism, and confidence. Loneliness cripples us.
The popular kids taught me early on that staying busy and surrounding yourself with good people dramatically increases your positive energy and quality of life. Like a shark, you are happier if you keep moving. Stay active, keep friends close, and only stop to reflect if you dare. Before long, you might even become the popular kid.
Craig Ormiston 
http://www.anailbitersspiel.com/2012/01/desire-loneliness.html
Tiffany, I love you – you’re the first person on this blog to challenge a post 🙂
I completely agree with you. I did not mean time condemn time alone – “that being left “at home alone with nothing but our thoughts” as a paramount bad thing; I meant to prescribe an attitude adjustment for those who dwell on their loneliness (rather than use that valuable time to dwell on many more important things). If all you can think about when you’re alone is your loneliness, then you need to get over it by keeping busy or digging deeper inside.
I myself embrace time alone, love it, and look forward to it. Some of the most empowering times of my day are in the shower or car alone, left only to my own inspiration and introspection. I have never met a person who can keep up with that and cherish time therein. I couldn’t agree more with you about balance – I try to keep a healthy balance in my life and worry sometimes that I favor my alone time too much. But I think that has more to do with my friends guilting me for “working” too much.
You MUST be comfortable with yourself, by yourself. You must study who you are, embrace it, and challenge yourself often. No one will do it for you half as well as you can for yourself.
In the end, I don’t think I could keep this blog going if I didn’t spend enough time alone in my head haha.
exacTly.
(speaking about yesterday’s post now) perhaps you ought to take that “one hour” again to write your posts *wink nudge. yes, i agree that you shouldn’t think too hard or for too long about a blog post, BUT you should perhaps take the time to make your thoughts/ideas a little more clear and well-rounded 🙂 xoxo…the love goes both ways my friend!