Modern Western Society tells us that we, as people, should be constantly doing something. Learning, working, running, partying, watching television, Facebooking, e-mailing, text messaging, right up until the moment we fall asleep. We are constantly able to contact one another and be contacted. We feel like we are obligated to always be with someone. But take a step back from your world and escape for a while. Reconnect with yourself.

Go down to the river, and sit all by yourself. Breathe in, breathe out. Feel the rock beneath your hands, the sun on your face. Look at the beauty surrounding you, and marvel at the miracle of life. Watch the sun set, the grass grow. Just sit. And think.

Think about this world. Think about your place in it. Think about the person you are, the person you have become. Remember your best times and your worst. Think about your life, your friends, the place you live. Decide if you like it, if you like yourself. If you had the chance to change anything, would you? Be honest; it’s not like anyone’s going to judge you. If you decide you want to change something, then change it. Do what you want, what you love, because otherwise, what are you living for?

F*** Society. You don’t need a high-paying job to be happy. Having a mom, a dad, and two kids doesn’t make a perfect family. You don’t need to sit at the popular table to have fun. You don’t need the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend to have a storybook ending. Hell, you don’t even need a storybook ending. You only need to be happy. Happiness isn’t about having things that other people want. It’s about having the things you want, and appreciating them.

Go only as far as you want. Take as long a time as you please, and then return to where you came from. Go back to your life, but make it different from before.

Never forget who you are.

And always remember that sometimes it’s okay to be alone.