Why you should learn to enjoy your own company
I’m friends with someone who has a hard time staying by himself. Of course, he lives in partial denial of this, but I know him well.
I also know a friend who is bad at making friends. She’s too eager for the company and the affection that she simply doesn’t choose wisely. of course, it’s not her fault that her love and affection isn’t reciprocated, but if she wasn’t so afraid of being alone, I can argue that she’d make better choices than she currently does.
Recently, I’ve caught myself campaigning in favour of learning life skills. I tell my friends “you should learn how to swim, it’s a life skill”, “you should learn to speak french if you want to travel across Africa”. Just like swimming, cooking and learning multiple languages, I believe that being able to enjoy your own company is also a life skill.
It isn’t about being a recluse or being an introvert or being alone. It is simply about being able to discover yourself, entertain yourself and understand the different layers of what makes you you and how that person you currently are can evolve in a way you desire.
If you’ve watched “How to be Single”, then you understand — to some extent at least — the essence of learning how to be by yourself, to be your own trusted companion. Then, when you get comfortable being with yourself, you can welcome others in.
This article is part of my 100-day creative project, “100 days of bad writing”. Inspired by what the journalist, Kiki Mordi, shared as the most meaningful writing advice she ever received — “bad writing is better than no writing”. You can follow everything I share on Instagram or explore what the 100-day project is all about.
