Do you have an area of expertise you’d like to share with the group? If you’d like to submit an article for publication, please send to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) You must have written the article yourself or have received permission to publish the article. Please send your submission in a format that can be easily copied and pasted from. Submissions that require retyping will not be posted.
Many of us find ourselves “living single” at some point in our lives. The number of people living single is increasing. According to Eric Klinenberg in his new book , Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone. The number of households with adults living alone has increased from 9 percent in 1950 to 28 percent – 31 million households – at the last census.
.
Living SingleWhy so many singles?
Singlehood may be for a few months, a few years or for a long period of time. It may be as a result of divorce or death, an extended search for a new partner or even by choice. Klinenberg is a sociologist who has studied the development of this growing population. Divorce rates have soared; many young people are delaying marriage yearning to have some time by themselves to develop a career or just be on their own for a while
Easier to be Single
In some ways living alone is easier than it used to be. We don’t need a partner to grow our food; living in a townhouse or condominium simplifies household maintenance. Numerous cafes, bars, fast food stops and neighborhood restaurants permit easy access to people and food. The internet connects us to a wide range of people from our laptops at home. We can text, chat, email, “friend” and Skype to connect with friends. To make new acquaintances we have meetups, networking and endless dating sites. In fact, finding solitude can be a challenge.
Single Opportunities
As a single you have a unique opportunity to discover yourself without outside influences of a partner. You get to figure out your eating preferences – what you eat, how you prepare it, when you eat. You select your friends and your romantic ideals. You can live where you want, choose your furnishings and paint colors. You discover and pursue your passions. Your thoughts influence your health status which is one of the most important components of creating a potentially happy future. Since your thoughts are critical in determining how you’re your life unfolds, you are spared unrequested influences.
Maintaining independence
We all want to be able to take care of ourselves whether or not we have a partner. Kleinenberg says that women generally have an advantage in that they seem better able to manage on their own and they are generally in better health than men and they live longer. We all want to stay healthy so we can enjoy our “retirement”.
I’ve been leading workshops on Ageless Thinking for the past 11 months. As I move into the next year the format will change. We’ll put more emphasis on finding joy and passion at any age. We’ll explore alternative living arrangements and seek ways to keep expenses under control. Watch for announcements of future meetings probably at lunch time during the week. I’ll be looking for business or people that might want to help sponsor the lunches, too. Any ideas?
My personal goal is to help folks stay healthy and to release any barriers to enjoying life to the fullest. Consider some of the programs offered by Elite Integrated Medicine http://www.qilady.com to support you in those efforts.
