Modern society has developed some negative associations with the idea of being alone.

When kids misbehave, parents send them to their rooms to sit in silence  as a punishment for their bad behavior. Staying at home alone on a  Friday or Saturday night is frowned upon. You’d be considered a “loser”  for doing so, and your friends would ask if you’re okay.

Being alone doesn’t necessarily cause loneliness, and many people can  feel lonely despite being in the constant presence of other people.

The truth is, solitude is necessary for our well-being and potential success.

It’s a question many of us ask ourselves each time we experience heartache or emotional pain: how do you let go of past hurts and move on?

Holding on to the past can be a conscious decision just like letting go and moving forward can be a conscious decision.

One thing that connects us as human beings is our ability to feel pain. Whether that pain is physical or emotional, we all have experiences of being hurt. What separates us though, is how we deal with that pain.

One of the best ways to heal from hurts is to learn lessons from the situation and use those to focus on growth and forward momentum. If we get stuck in thinking about what “should have been,” we can become immobilized in painful feelings and memories.