Ego

Ego exists in human nature, and it manifests as ignorance, greed, and desire to name a few. The ego-consciousness fights, often triumphantly, against the individual’s actual self; it bears arms to keep a self-construct derived from external impositions in power over the individual.  

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Alone & Loneliness

“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.” – C.G. Jung

A distinct difference exists between being alone and experiencing loneliness.  In Susan Cain’s book Quiet, she presents differences between introverts and extroverts and finds many people who embrace introversion crave being alone in solitude.  Introverts thrive, when they are able to read a book in the quiet comforts of a designated space made for the exact purpose, for example.  They are more energized and more focused, when they are alone.  Thus, the idea of being alone is not one to automatically elicit feelings of pity, sadness, nor discomfort.  

Change

Change is inevitable; yet, nothing need be forgotten or used to remember times of great joy and happiness.  Previous relationships from friends to romantic partners even family members change, which subsequently changes the nature of the relationship.  You change.  Without change one remains stagnant.  

Compassion

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” – Albert Einstein

The Apogee of Human Experience

“Humans have come into being for the sake of each other, so either teach them, or learn to bear them.” – Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

We share our lives with millions of people.  Therefore, our state of happiness is contingent on understanding our interactions with others, which includes knowing and controlling oneself.  Given we are all made up of our own unique experiences, passing or enduring interactions are complicated.  We are all