Page 24 - SeniorsToday October
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Loneliness and Love: stripping the vibrance out of your life. This
If you have not loved anyone in a while, giant what-if you keep asking yourself is
you are going to crave that experience preventing you from truly living.
and feel lonely. But there is a difference Acceptance just means that, if you do not
between the feeling of loneliness and “I am find the one, your world will not end. You
lonely.” One is an experience, a feeling will still build a wonderful and meaningful
that comes and goes. The other is an life. Many people have built amazing lives
identity, tightly tied to your sense of without a partner. People who started to
worth. Instead of just being aware of the move their life chips from we to me, have
feeling, you have attached added meaning started to bet on themselves.
to it. But it is not your fault. That knot has The more you accept this truth, the
been tied by society. Whether you know it sooner you will stop feeling that being
or not, you have been programmed. single is linked to a lower sense of worth,
Loneliness is the struggle that needs the less you will tell yourself you need to
to be overcome. Once you conquer it, find someone to be happy, and the more
only then will you feel happy. You can you will be present in your life instead of
understand the roots of this feeling, but obsessing about the future.
understanding it does not take away how Accepting this truth, you will start to run
real and constant it is. It is an ongoing toward yourself instead of into the arms
state that can make you lose hope and of the next person to come along. And
wonder, will I ever find love again? when you do meet someone - because of
course you will - you will bring a more
Address Your Fear Head-on! interesting, alluring set of skills and
First, stop ruminating while you are experiences to the table. Instead of meeting
having that lonesome feeling. Stop asking someone who will save you from your
yourself if you will ever find the kind situation, you will meet someone who can
of person you have always dreamed of. share your current joys.
Maybe you will not. But if that shakes Look, no one wants to be alone. Not you.
your world, the last thing you need to be Not me. We all want to share our life with
in right now is a relationship. Because that someone else. Love and relationships are
desperation will only poison whatever only one part of your life, not your entire
relationship you do find yourself in. life.
Hence, let us address your fear right
now, head on. Take a deep breath and ask
yourself the following question regardless
of your age: What if you never find a
partner?
Did your heart stop? It might have for a
second, but despite what you may feel, you
are still very much alive. I am not saying
you will never find love. I am saying that
this looming question you allow to follow
you around like a dark cloud is what is
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