Solitude

Solitude is really important for spiritual life. The ego is created in reaction to how others perceive you, so you have to spend time alone to find out what you really are. Not to mention how pleasant it is; you can do anything you want without outside judgment. When you are alone you are left to hear the thoughts that are going on inside you, without outside distraction. You realize that your thoughts are all from reactions to external events from the past. You may worry about how someone perceived you during the day, if you got everything done that you needed to, whether or not you are a good person, why you are the way you are, why your friends/partners are acting the way they are etc, the list is endless.  It is difficult to rid yourself of these thoughts, but you can only take the time to really deal with them and observe them when you are alone. You can follow them to their source, and figure out how to end them. And you need to remember the truth to do it (see "the present" at www.truthcontest.com). 

The outside world is harsh and uncaring. It demands that you play mind games or it will shut you out. Play the mind games knowing full well what you are doing, but when you come home and you are alone (well maybe not if you have a family) you owe it to yourself to be yourself. Mind games suppress and deny who we really are, whether it is bad or good, so you owe it to yourself to see the ego/beast within you that is supressed by society. It needs to be made visible to be eliminated. You need to see the problem to make a solution. You cannot see the problem when you are playing the same phony game as everyone else. You need to look at yourself without makeup, to be able to see the flaws. Do not think of anything about yourself as bad or good though, that is also ego, just learn to see yourself objectively, and how to recognize your ego.