In today’s world, we often told to not be alone. Hike in pairs, don’t hitchhike, safety in numbers, buddy up.  There is absolute sense in these idioms at certain times. As a result, people are afraid of being alone. This can be as simple as eating dinner at a restaurant by yourself, taking a solo weekend vacation, or planning regular time every week to enjoy your own company and get to know who you are. It can also be more extreme such as hiking the Appalachian Trail, biking across country, or running a 1,000-dogsled race -the Iditarod.

If you do it right, you might not like yourself. We have demons in our closet. Regret, shame, fear, anger, guilt, and maybe we hate ourselves.  Once you get alone with yourself it's harder to use distraction to avoid dealing with these feelings.

Sit at a coffee shop with a journal. Find a local hiking trail and bring bear spray but go alone and see the beauty that is both inside you and surrounding you.

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