Ice breaker #16: when you think of your lonely times, what scared you about the experience?

Sunset at The Louvre, Abu Dhabi

Looking back to my late teenage years/the early twenties, I had so much time to linger with my emotions. In retrospect, most of them were unnecessary. I guess I have also put so much content about it in this blog which makes me cringe every time I read them although, at that time, I knew that writing how I felt was the best channel I had to pour out those negative thoughts and emotions on.

Although I wouldn't want to be on that road again. those years were not too scary to the point that I would actually want to end everything. What scares me is the strong pull of negative forces around you. It just makes you think of the world as a bad place that there is no good left in every little thing. This is not true and that is what scares me the most for myself and for everyone.

I'm thankful that I did not go through that tunnel completely because I never really cut myself out from the people who surrounded me and, most especially, who were there for me (not intentionally being there just because but just being there for no reason). It helps to forgive and forget and to always be the bigger person and see the bigger picture. That thought really helped a lot through the years.

I guess every one of us has to go through that kind of phase in life where we question every little thing and it gets overwhelming and then we find ourselves spiraling down the rabbit hole. For me, it was helpful to read a lot of books, personal blogs, get creative, collaborate, spend time with family and close friends, talk to strangers, and go out - just go out of the house and see the reality that not everything is all about you.

Those years actually pushed me to get out of my comfort zone - I had so many great life experiences that I couldn't even imagine doing had I just let myself down all the time. Feeling down is pretty normal. Lingering on it for too long is poisonous.