Tell me what it’s like to be surrounded by people almost your entire life.
It’s exciting. It’s busy. It’s fun.
But it can also be a little lonely.
What do I mean?
When you’re around people all the time, you’re never quite alone. Some people can relate to that, and some people can’t. There’s a lot going on, and sometimes there’s so much happening in your mind that you don’t have room to express what’s going on in your head.
I’ve always had tons of stories, tons of ideas, just random thoughts. I’ve learned to use little moments, like driving in my car or waking up in the middle of the night, to jot those ideas down. When you have a family of six, it’s really hard to find that time.
I don’t mean that in a negative way.
It’s just a busy life.
Mother. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Employee. Business owner.
Where do you find the time?
Alone
My time has always been stolen away in moments like this. Early in the morning. Leaving the house. Getting in the car and driving away.
Honestly, the only time I really get to be one hundred percent alone is when I’m in the car by myself, usually on my way to work. I’m sure there are a lot of people who can relate to that.
It’s my cone of silence.
Even then, sometimes I don’t get the silence because my sister calls, or somebody needs something, and life keeps happening. There’s nothing wrong with any of that.
Being alone gives you time to process.
I had to learn how to adapt to those little minutes here and there and piece them together into hours of solitude.
I’m going to tell you—I value my alone time.
I don’t know about a lot of people, but I really enjoy being alone. I enjoy my own company.
I used to joke that sometimes talking to myself was the only intelligent conversation I had all day. I know that’s a bit of an insult, but it’s true sometimes. When you get your thoughts out of your head, you can actually process them. If they just stay up there, it can be a lonely place to be.
But when you genuinely enjoy who you are and who you’ve become, being alone is not a punishment.
Being alone is a gift.
My Time
So how do I spend my alone time?
Usually I’m writing. Taking voice memos. Dictating ideas. Talking to AI. I know that’s frowned upon by some people, but for me it’s a processing tool. Don’t get it twisted. It’s not about taking advice. It’s about getting a thought out of your head.
Sometimes other people aren’t available to talk to.
Sometimes I just need to decompress.
And even when I say decompress, it’s not because something is wrong. It’s just that there’s a lot going on all the time.
I’m a list person, so sometimes I’m dictating lists. I’m a planner, so sometimes I’m making plans. When I’m driving, it’s often the only time I have to just be still. You can’t exactly have a pen and paper while you’re driving, so I steal away into my car and spend some time alone with myself.
Some people read.
Some people go jogging.
Some people sit at Starbucks with a cup of coffee.
Being alone is cool, man.
I love it.
I love being alone because I enjoy spending time with myself. I spend that time writing or storytelling to myself, whether that’s into a voice memo, a Word document, or wherever those thoughts happen to land.
How do I find the time?
If I’m being real…
I find it in the margins of my life.
Mirror Me launches February 2027