To grow into one's purpose, it's important to be self-aware. The only way to become self-aware is to know who you really are and what you are all about. To discover what's going on with you will require spending time alone by yourself. But many go to great lengths to avoid being alone. Some will stomach hanging out with people they don't really like. Others move from one relationship to the next for the very same reason.

Being alone has been the greatest gift that life has ever given me because for the first time in my adult life, I get the opportunity to check me out. I get to evaluate my level of thinking, what I like, what I abhor and the direction in which I'd like my life to go. Being alone allows my connection to the Divine to be strong because there are very little distractions. Most importantly, everything significant that has happened in my life has happened when I was alone.

Reflection is a big deal for me and it should be for you too. If you have been divorced or just recently ended a relationship, take the time to evaluate what happened the last time rather than jumping in with the first person who winks at you. If you don't take time to reflect, you run the risk of making the same mistakes you made before. Even when you strongly believe all the blame lies on the doorstep of other person involved, the truth of the matter is no matter how flat a pancake is, it always has two sides.

The popular saying, "Experience is the best teacher." is highly flawed. Only experience that includes careful reflection teaches us what we need to move forward with strength and the only way to perform real reflection is in solitude.