The Art of Isolation

I’ve learned so much about myself by just being …. alone.

There were a few weeks I forced myself to not dwell on Netflix, watch the Office for the 1,000th time already, and make myself something besides cheerios with a cup of dark chocolate chips!

The result? I learned 4 songs on the Kalimba (little thumb piano), learned to juggle, bought a penny board….still haven’t mastered on braking yet, and burned my stovetop from making a jelly shot recipe. Not bad, right?

The point isn’t what I have done, it’s what I learned in that time of being in my solitude. I realized how much creativity I trapped in my mind, how much my mind craved being used in different ways, and how much I truly missed writing. I can’t sit still for long so I needed quick projects but projects I can pass on or pop into conversations, a possible skill I can raise in my hand in an icebreaker session. I thought of every scenario outside my box of isolation.

Did I feel alone? Of course. But I didn’t feel the need to leave my unit until I had some sort of date with myself. I needed to get to know and learn: who the heck is Gabbie Ramirez? I know my name, when I was born, what’s 2+2, but what talents have I been hiding?

I had all this time to pass to ignore the news, to block the negative energy, and be in my zone. In my zone, I created a portfolio of what’s on the horizon for me, myself, and I.

How are you using your time? What talents are you hiding? Get to know yourself.