Rhythm of Solitude: Finding the tempo of our lives

Songwriting and poetry is a hobby of mine that I’ve been tinkering with since I was kid. I’ve seen that most songs once in the process, kind of have a life of their own. The words and notes begin to fall in place as if the song had its own will. But to accurately express the life of that song there’s a part that many people don’t think about. The tempo and the key. You must play the song in a variety of tempos and keys to find the one that correctly matches the vision you had. I think it’s the same with our lives. There’s a tempo that solitude beats to and it’s unique to each one of us. I want to take time in this series to discuss thematic and unique rhythms of solitude I think we should all introduce into our lives. Really because it will help us more accurately express who we are and accomplish the vision we have for our lives.

Here’s an overview of what my rhythm looks like.

• Yearly, plan a vision retreat week where you retire to a quiet place like the mountains or a beach.

• Quarterly, plan a weekend getaway alone, with a 2-3 close friends or with your spouse.

• Weekly, plan a day of each week to disconnect totally from everything and celebrate what you have. Sabbath.

• Daily, seek solitude where the purpose is presence. Disconnect the phone and connect with someone you love. Use your lunch break and sit under your desk.

I look forward to talking about each part of this with you in upcoming entries.

See you out there,

Paul