Finding Joy In Loneliness

Finding Joy in Loneliness - a phrase I thought was absolutely impossible! But this was the phrase the Lord spoke to me in 2016. I was alone while my husband was deployed and I had no idea how to live without him. He was my person. When God gave me this phrase I thought He wanted to bring me joy in the midst of deployment. I was so wrong. As I began digging deeper into what he had for me, I found that I had been dealing with loneliness my entire life. I unraveled the hurt and pain that I had been carrying with me everywhere. I felt alone during deployment, but actually, I did in life. As I unravel my life with you, my prayer is that you too will find joy in your loneliness - whatever that looks like for you. The enemy wants to steal our joy, but God is REDEEMER.

Young or old, single or married, male or female—at some point in life, we're all confronted with loneliness. We try to fill the void or change our circumstances so we no longer feel the pain. But what if our pangs of loneliness are meant to point us to something greater? Looking at various aspects of loneliness, Lydia Brownback reminds us of God's power to redeem our loneliness and use it in our lives to draw us to himself. Ultimately, she helps us see that even when we feel misunderstood, forsaken, or abandoned, we're never really alone. God is always with us, and only he can meet all of our needs in Christ Jesus.

Pursuit of Happiness Book Series As the author of “How to Be Happy: A Guide to Finding Happiness When Alone”, I am excited to share my journey toward overcoming loneliness and finding true happiness in solitude. Happiness is an internal state of being that requires intentional practices and habits. Through my experiences and research, I have discovered that happiness is not an external pursuit, but rather an internal one. The book covers various topics related to happiness, including the concept of happiness and the different types of happiness that exist. I discuss common misconceptions about happiness and highlight the importance of pursuing it as a fundamental human goal. I also delve into the psychology of happiness, discussing the science behind it and the role of neurotransmitters in shaping our emotions. Positive thinking, gratitude, and self-compassion are also essential in achieving true happiness. Loneliness is a significant issue that impacts happiness. I address the causes of loneliness and offer strategies for coping with it. Building and maintaining meaningful relationships is essential in combating loneliness and fostering a sense of connection and belonging. Finding fulfillment in solitude is also critical for happiness. I explore the benefits of taking time for oneself and engaging in activities that promote personal growth and fulfillment. Developing a sense of purpose and cultivating a positive mindset is vital to enhancing one's overall well-being. The book concludes with a discussion of the journey toward lasting happiness. Patience, persistence, and celebrating progress and achievements are crucial. Embracing imperfection and finding joy in the journey is essential, rather than solely focusing on the destination of happiness. In brief, “How to Be Happy: A Guide to Finding Happiness Alone” is a guide to finding joy and fulfillment when alone. By exploring various aspects of happiness, including the psychology of happiness, loneliness, and finding fulfillment in solitude, readers will be equipped with the tools and strategies needed to cultivate happiness within themselves. Happiness is an essential aspect of life, and this book serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to achieve it.

How to be happy alone. Sounds like a daunting task! I can hear you now: "Loneliness can be hell. Finding happiness alone? I need someone or something in my life to make me happy --- a lover, a partner, a spouse, or friends. And, if I have enough money I can buy any and all of these, and that would make me happy, too." Understand the deal. No one is going to do it for you . . . on a long-term, forever basis. No fabulous loving person is going to rescue you from your loneliness permanently. They cannot. Oh, someone can undoubtedly give you moments of joy, companionship, sweetness, pleasure, validation, love, and happiness. Even a temporary sense of completeness. Until they don't. Then you realize---again---your greatest emotional pain usually comes from the person or persons you thought could make you happy. Ouch! We have all heard the old phrase "Happiness comes from within." It's true, whether you accept right now or not. It's always best for your happiness to operate in reality. Start right now. Here's the plan to find lasting happiness alone. Yes, all by yourself.

“What does it mean to be lonely?” Thomas Dumm asks. His inquiry, documented in this book, takes us beyond social circumstances and into the deeper forces that shape our very existence as modern individuals. The modern individual, Dumm suggests, is fundamentally a lonely self. Through reflections on philosophy, political theory, literature, and tragic drama, he proceeds to illuminate a hidden dimension of the human condition. His book shows how loneliness shapes the contemporary division between public and private, our inability to live with each other honestly and in comity, the estranged forms that our intimate relationships assume, and the weakness of our common bonds. A reading of the relationship between Cordelia and her father in Shakespeare’s King Lear points to the most basic dynamic of modern loneliness—how it is a response to the problem of the “missing mother.” Dumm goes on to explore the most important dimensions of lonely experience—Being, Having, Loving, and Grieving. As the book unfolds, he juxtaposes new interpretations of iconic cultural texts—Moby-Dick, Death of a Salesman, the film Paris, Texas, Emerson’s “Experience,” to name a few—with his own experiences of loneliness, as a son, as a father, and as a grieving husband and widower. Written with deceptive simplicity, Loneliness as a Way of Life is something rare—an intellectual study that is passionately personal. It challenges us, not to overcome our loneliness, but to learn how to re-inhabit it in a better way. To fail to do so, this book reveals, will only intensify the power that it holds over us.

In this deeply compassionate work, Jean Vanier shares his profoundly human vision for creating a common good that radically changes our communities, our relationships and ourselves. He proposes that by opening ourselves to others, those we perceive as weak, different, or inferior, we can achieve true personal and societal freedom. The 10th anniversary edition includes a new Introduction by the author.