It’s a few minutes to 9am. I’m sitting alone, sipping my coffee…black, no sugar, trying to finish the last few pages of my current read ‘The Flat Share’…a book by Beth O’Leary.
It was either the book, a recording on my podcast ‘Reading with Emaistace’ or a little scribbling in a journal my cousin gave to me. The book won.
Well, now I guess I can say the book ended up losing because here I am, writing this piece.
I’ve been alone like this for the past forty seven minutes and it’s the most alone time I’ve had in the past five days. That’s a long time…for me. It’s no wonder I have been unable to give my best, both at work and at home.
It’s how I refuel, a little alone time each day… To read, write, listen to music, watch something I love or watch some sermons.
Refueling oneself is making time to create positive energy to enable you tackle obstacles/challenges and then achieve success. It’s just like a car. It can’t move on zero fuel.
…but the key thing, I believe, is to find the right fuel for your personality and also for the season/reason. I’ve had days when I’ve needed to refuel with something other than alone time, like an evening out with a few friends or a weekend away with my sister’s where we talk and hardly sleep.
Some people refuel with physical exercise at the gym or a long run. For some, it’s being with people, partying and dancing. Different strokes…
A few days ago, my cousin Ngodoo shared a meme on our family’s WhatsApp group that read “Deep question for your friends, if I went to Jail, what would you think I had done?”… Angela listed a few crimes for a few family members but she didn’t list any for me. So when I cried “Do me, Do me, Do me” and her response was “taking too much time to be alone”, I knew she was right.
Guilty as charged.
How do you refuel?
i love the quesion, and we all have our ways. i love people, but also need a bit of alone time to recharge and then come back. that being said, i love meeting up with a couple of close friends or family, to just relax, and talk and laugh. one of my fav alone times, is spent walking in the woods
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Talking and laughing is really good for the soul.
thank you Beth.
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We all need refueling sometimes, it’s good for the soul. Great post.
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Thank you.
I like “good for the soul”
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I refuel by being alone too. It’s when I get my thoughts together. I don’t think too much on my feet 😀💕
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😁
Amazing.
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Wow! this is a great piece I can relate to. I’m retired so I have more options so I do Value my alone time BUT I need to mix it up: with gym, leisurely walks along the lake, having a meal with my family, going out with my mates: a mix of the social, physical and solitary. When alone I go on WP, of course, post and leave comments — like now; AND read stuff, usually poetry or short stories that excite me linguistically: I like to see language used in inventive and interesting wAYS ; whew 🙂
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You are an all-rounder. 😁. This is interesting.
I love the last line.
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that decides whetherI read a book: the subject matter sure, but does the writing excite me ?
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Once I ran many miles – meditating as I went long. Now I photograph
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Oh that’s beautiful. I’m glad you share those photographs with us too.
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Thanks very much, Mimi
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