Louisa Lopez
Have you ever gone to the cinema with a friend and noticed that one person who was there alone?
They’ve gone in, bought their ticket, some popcorn, maybe a drink. They’ve sat down to wait, but it doesn’t seem like they’re waiting for anyone else. Suddenly, it’s time to go in and you notice that they’ve gone in alone and they’ve sat in front of you.
And then you think, “Wow! I wish I could do that.”
This person has a few personality strengths that help them to achieve this without worrying or feeling self-conscious. Read on to find out more about them.
1) Independence
I mean this is an obvious sign of independence.
Even I, a very independent woman, haven’t been to see a movie alone. When I see someone do this I think they are the height of independence. They want to see that movie so much that they go to the cinema, pay all that money, and watch it alone. No one to discuss it with afterward, no one to laugh with during.
Wow! I take my hat off.
This kind of action shows that this person is comfortable doing things alone. It also shows that they know what they want and can make decisions without anyone else’s help. They have thought about what they would like to do that day and gone and done it.
2) Confidence
Have you ever had to take a deep breath and go to a party alone? I get a little bit of anxiety sometimes when this has to happen. I much prefer to go with someone else.
But here we have someone who has the confidence to go out by themselves, into a place where it’s mostly couples or groups of people, and sit and enjoy watching something for a couple of hours without worrying at all.
Doing this shows such confidence in yourself.
These people don’t worry about what is cool, or what other people are doing they are more happy enjoying their interests whether someone else is accompanying them or not. That’s true confidence.
3) Resilience
As a teen, if I went to the cinema by myself I’d have worried that I might see someone from school there too and that they would have made fun of me for going alone. They might tease me for not having any friends.
Or even worse, tell other people at school that I was there alone.
People who do this show a lot of resilience because they don’t care what others are thinking, or saying about them. They’re not bothered that someone they know might see them and make fun of them. It doesn’t matter to them.
Resilience is an incredible trait that only a few have. Often it’s learned, but some lucky people are resilient from the get-go.
4) Open-mindedness
A good thing about people like this is that because they aren’t worried about you judging them, they are more likely to be more open-minded and less likely to judge others.
They are also people who are more likely to try new things because they might be fun rather than shying away because they might be scary.
I have a friend who goes to the cinema by himself all the time. He’s always off doing crazy new things. Just last weekend when he was on holiday I saw pictures of him on social media hot air ballooning. The open-mindedness he has to life is incredible.
5) Empathy
Again, as you can probably imagine, due to having to be so resilient to the criticism of others, people like this show a lot of empathy.
They know what it is like to be looked at rudely, to be judged. And they don’t want that for others.
You’ll find that very independent people are often kind and caring, always taking care of people they don’t know when they are out. Because they appreciate it when a stranger takes care of them.
I met someone traveling solo the other day, and he was saying that along the way he has met the most lovely, caring, empathetic people who have looked after him after he had a motorcycle crash.
These people were often also solo travelers, so they knew what it was like to be doing things alone.
6) Courage
Have you ever wondered what makes someone courageous? The answer is stepping out of their comfort zone.
I don’t think we talk about courage or bravery enough, but this is a great example of both.
To do something that is out of the ‘social norms of life’ is showing courage. Taking that step to do something you’ve never done before or is different in front of others, or something that scares you at first.
Usually, once you have to courage to do something scary, it’s not scary anymore. But it does encourage you to go and do other scary things in the future.
Once I was in the Philippines and everyone was jumping off this high bridge into a lagoon. I was so scared and lacked courage. But I really wanted to do it! I wanted to conquer my fear. I went up, I looked down, I went back down the stairs again, and went off kayaking instead.
However, I gained some courage and went back about half an hour late. I climbed back up the stairs and I jumped!
It was so much fun that I immediately climbed those stairs and jumped a second time.
Courage gives us the ability to do things we never thought we could.
7) Mindfulness
I know you might be wondering how mindfulness fits in here. But let me tell you, it does.
When you can do the things you enjoy without worrying about other people, you are living in the moment. You are choosing what you want and you are making sure to enjoy it. This is being mindful.
We all know that mindfulness is linked to many different benefits, including helping to keep us calm and relaxed.
So if going off on your own to enjoy a movie at the cinema, or doing something you enjoy alone because no one else is keen, is creating a more mindful you, then maybe it’s something we should all be doing more of!
I know I could do with a better memory and less stress in my life. How about you?
