I love love. Well, mostly.
I love love in the sense that I love many people and tend to throw the word around similar to the way I agree with "totes" and signify that I can finish something with "on it."
I have always kind of been like that. My whole life I've been an extrovert and get my energy from other people--it's just the way I'm built. The more I have come to accept, embrace and celebrate that part of my personality, the better I've learned how to nourish myself and identify the things I need to feel happy and healthy.
However, as an extrovert with the love languages quality time and service, I sometimes get myself into a situation where I expend a lot of energy and emotion into the people I love, and end up feeling like the emotional stimulation may or may not finish me off. Lately (like, the last 4 years) I've liked to keep a smooth balance of time with besties and some hours to myself to recharge my proverbial batteries.
Contrary to popular belief, I actually LOVE me some alone time. Usually my alone time is paired with or comes after some significant socializing and/or exceptionally difficult day.
For example: The other day I went to work and was like, blah: It was raining, it took a long time to get downtown, I didn't feel like I got a lot done in the morning and I was just feeling off balance. Being that I love Gchat, I im'ed someone I love and adore and asked if they wanted to go to lunch. Luckily, they did, and I watched the clock until noon when I could bounce out of the office and down the Embarcadero to munch on a mid-day meal.
After a lunch filled with amazing food and even better conversation, I marched back into the office feeling noticeable lighter and in a much better mood. As I was grabbing my usual after lunch peppermint tea, I couldn't help but think, "quality time is SO my love language!"
However, as the afternoon wore on, I found myself sinking once again into my funk-type mood. There was a social event planned for the evening that I really wanted to attend, but I couldn't help thinking that maybe I should just stay home, wrap myself in my duvet, and watch some Gilmore Girls. My lunch rendezvous provided me with nourishment my extrovert self needed, but the few hours of solo time was sounding so tempting I could think of nothing else.
So I came home, changed into my yoga pants (standard) and settled in with a few episodes of my favorite mother-daughter combo.
Best.Idea.Ever.
As much as I love my friends and as much as relationships are truly what give me my self worth, I usually need some time to decompress. To re-center myself. To be alone with my thoughts.
Being able to be alone is one of the most important qualities I think we can strive to develop, if we don't already love it. I think it's great to be able to be at peace with your own brain. It can help you think things out, take a few deep breaths, and put you in tune with any kind of inspiration you might need to receive.
Again, I love love.
But part of loving love, is loving to be alone.
xoxo
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