I need to be Alone

I need to be Alone

“My imagination functions much better when I don’t have to talk to people” Patricia Highsmith

At the time of writing this piece, it’s been about seven months that I had done any writing. I’ve been doing a lot of reading just making sure that I am growing and spending time developing vital areas of my life. As the year 2022 closes however I am reflecting on life generally, the gift I have spent (1,639,872,000 seconds, 27,331,200 minutes, 455,520 hours, 18,980 days, 624 months, and 52 years), and the death of a colleague who was a priest and with whom we served in the same parish. While introspecting the question arises, what have I done with all that gift? Imagine that the gift in seconds was in Dollars, which had made me very rich. Pause and do your own calculation. Many religious people are looking to the 31st of December tagged “cross over night” where there will be prophetic declarations and if you have been alive as long as I have been you’ve had 52 prophetic declarations. Do you even remember that of 2021/2022 which is the most recent. Why is your life still rolling around the same point? God’s word is powerful but it doesn’t seem to be working for you. The shift you hope to make isn’t happening. I am hoping to show you one out of many ways to make 2023 count. It’s a time tested tool for me and I am the better for it on all fronts spirit, soul and body.

The truth is that most of us are not our best selves.

Solitude! We are usually overwhelmed by all the things we have to do, things we are planning and praying to do but never really have the time to actually getting down to do them. A well-organized life will produce a greater chance of success and excellence than a life lived free falling. What is solitude? It is a purposeful, intentional time when you put yourself away alone with time and with the properties you need to create a product. It is a determined period you set aside to make the most of your gift of time. It is a season when you draw away like Jesus to a solitary place, free from distractions, ministry, the crowd, the acclaim of the people and the critics. It is a time to evaluate/critically examine your thoughts and how they impact your daily existence. You are in solitude with the main aim of making the most out of your time.

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them

Solitude allows you to get alone with God and plan, it gives you a clear mind and a direction making it easy for you to hear God speak to you clearly on what needs to be done and how. We are daily bombarded by all kinds of information and the times of solitude will help us get a clear mind free from clutter. Solitude will help us re-examine our values and put them in place. It will help you examine what you are doing that is not in line with the original mandate that you had on your life. Am hoping at this point that you are aware of that mandate, if you are not then its time to really seek out what that mandate is. Everyone has a mandate on their lives. Solitude will help you organize the events of your life only around your calling and purpose.

Whatever problems you have can be solved through solitude. You are probably wondering or asking do you mean financial, family or relationships? And my answer is yes. How do you do this? Do you have financial challenges? The usual thing we do is to look for someone who will prophesy or speak a word. While these are time tested methods that work because the Word of God is life and powerful, there are principles behind finances that solitude will help you discover. By the end of that solitary time, not only would you emerge with a Word but also principles that help create systems. This world works by systems (look out for my write up on systems). I will recommend that for finances you get a copy of “Business by the Book” and “More than Finances” both by Larry Burkett, “Money Mastery” Billy Epperhart. For relationships, if you are married “The story of Marriage” by John and Lisa Bevere is a great read. To be a better parent “Home court Advantage” “Have a new kid by Friday” both by Kevin Leman is great. To understand yourself better, “The real You” by Kevin Leman is a good place to start. To improve on your thinking, “Thinking for a Change” John Maxwell, “Outliers” Malcom Gladwell “Think, Learn and Succeed” Caroline Leaf, “Change Mastery” Billy Epperhart. “The Power of Imagination” Effortless Change” “Harnessing your Emotions” Andrew Womack. This list is by no means exhaustive.

What happens in solitude? This is where you re-build your life. Do an inventory, study the most successful people, write down qualities/principles you have that they have, the ones they have that you don’t have. Meditate, study, and think on how to make these principles become flesh in your life (manifest). Uproot the negative qualities in the place of solitude. Friends this is effective cross over, this is the prophetic declaration you need and the beauty is that this can be done at any point in your life.

You can remodel yourself into anything you want to become. Create the best of yourself.

Friends note also that there is an emotional advantage of solitude. Solitude helps you eliminate fear, worry, and anxieties. You can by solitude come into the peace and rest of God. You do this by getting rid of all the junk in your life, worries and fears. Get materials on how to overcome fear and exhaust them then work on getting rid of your fears. In the place of solitude with God you will be able to realistically assess your fears, the rationality or non-rationality of them and uproot them where necessary. Where the fear is real, in the place of solitude you will begin to think realistic solutions by taking the time to analyze so as to develop well-thought-out and effective solutions.

Many people simply do not take out the time necessary to solve many of life’s intellectual, social or spiritual problems.

The Importance of Solitude
I should mention here that going to a solitary place with your phone is no solitude. Solitude is an alone time with no body, you are ALONE.
Solitude helps you most importantly to become dependent on God.
Solitude will set you free from the rat race of life, from the deception and vanity of life because as you focus you are better able to determine what is most important.
Solitude helps you become more efficient and proficient, you are not distracted by telephone calls and the social media.

Caution – do not go to solitude if you don’t have an aim, don’t do it also because everyone is doing it.

Have a great and productive 2023 folks!!!!