EP23 Loneliness Welcome to episode 23 of the Fail Forward podcast.   What does loneliness mean to you?   For most people the word evokes negative emotions and memories; sadness, childhood trauma, isolation, depression, failure. And I can’t lie - I would have said the same until I listened to Steven Bartlett’s podcast (Diary of a CEO) with Jay Shetty.    If you haven’t heard it, I’d recommend you give it a listen. That episode completely changed my perspective of loneliness and what it means to do things alone. Here’s why.   As a child we moved around a lot with  my parents' work. That meant I was frequently changing schools and having to make new friends. On the upside, it meant I developed great people skills which have stayed with me for life. I’m naturally able to talk to and connect with new people I meet. But on the flipside, it meant I spent a lot of time alone and that’s what I hated.     Until Jay Shetty enlightened me that it’s OK to do things alone.  In fact, time spent alone is a positive place of solitude and respite in an otherwise busy life. It’s an opportunity to collect my thoughts, to think creatively, to meditate and to allow the noise to go silent for a while.    In this episode I share how embracing solitude, peace and respite of time alone is a great opportunity that offers you decompression time enabling you to be a better boss, spouse, parent and friend.    If you’re someone who feels a little strange about spending time alone, have a listen and let me know if it helps you change your perspective.    If you’re enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/