Sunday, August 1, 2010

How To Be Alone

A friend posted this on Facebook yesterday and I absolutely love it. I've watched it like 4 times so far. That's the first thing. The second thing is that I thought the comments that were posted in response to this were also interesting. People loved it or they thought it was completely depressing. I'm curious how you feel about it. What happens to you when you watch it? Please, do tell.

There is heat in freezing. Be a testament.

20 comments:

  1. I loved that-I love being alone. I prefer it most of the time.

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  2. I liked it a lot. Learning to be alone helps us appreciate being together. I also liked it because I'm pretty confident she is French Canadian. Her accent and her mittens with the fleur-dy-lis gave it away.

    Thanks. Nice post. I found it uplifting; not the least bit depressing.

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  3. Yeah, I loved her accent too, but couldn't quite place it. It's subtle and beautiful.

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  4. luv it.
    if you cant be happy and at peace when alone then you cant truly appreciate time spent with others, and the other people themselves. imo.

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  5. i started a response and instead am replying via blog post.

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  6. @birthMOM I totally agree. I enjoy my time spent alone because it gives me ample opportunity to relax and do things that I really want to do that no one will notice, like strumming the guitar or taking walks. I'm one of those people who was intially put off by the video because my reaction is that we should not embrace loneliness. I've defined myself in large part by relationships with others and thought of being alone leaves me feeling lost. I think that's pricesly why I should be alone at times, and to learn to not be so lost.

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  7. the bathroom. the coffee shop. the library. the gym. public transportation. meditation. lunchtime. dinner by myself. movies. dancing. walking in the forest. roaming around foreign cities. making art.

    this is basically my current life. i guess I'm alone. and its quite. lovely.

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  8. Made me cry. Not sad crying, though. It had to do with my anxiety about moving to a new city and things like that.

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  9. Very indie. Very thought provoking. Very cool.

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  10. Made me cry too. It was kind of a freeing, it's ok to be/feel alone, because there's healing that can take place there.

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  11. Thanks for sharing. I'm passing this on to several friends who need to see it.

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  12. That was beautiful! Thanks for sharing....a well needed reminder. :)

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  13. Many of these sentiments from her piece are precisely why I like to travel alone. It is much more cathartic and freeing for me than if I am with others. Or at least, if I travel with others, I need to have time alone.

    But I am one of those people that does not usually equate being alone with loneliness. Most of my loneliness has been felt when I have been with others.

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  14. JonJon-- Yes! Exactly. I've been thinking about that recently, which was partially sparked by the Eat Pray Love quote you posted a while back.

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  15. Wow, this video was so beautiful! It really hit home the idea that we shouldn't be afraid to be alone. That loneliness doesn't have to be negative :) I like that idea. Make wanting to be together with people balanced and more meaningful and in turn makes being alone and lonely more meaningful and better. Thanks!

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  16. Great video and thoughts. A fine example that "You can't be happy without a partner" just ain't always so.

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  17. I'm afraid that I'm the voice of dissent on this one... But, my thoughts went in WAY too many directions for a comment, so, like Ariel, I posted my own entry. :)

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