Loneliness vs. Solitude

Loneliness: Alone someplace. Restless for companionship.
Solitude: No longer pulled apart by elements in the environment. Able to percieve/understand this world from a quiet inner center.

Nouwen says that our lives constantly fluctuate between these two poles: loneliness and solitude. The elements that influence this fluctuation are largely beyond our power to control - "too many known and unknown factors play roles in the balance of our inner life" for us to be able to fully understand where we are on this continuum. But as we become incresingly aware of the existence of these two poles and attentive to the little fluctuations we experience from moment to moment...we are no longer lost and we can make conscious and intentional moves toward solitude.
A first step in the direction of solitude might be to watch for times when I seek to secure comfort in a person, job, hobby, movie, book....iPod. Coming to the realization that nothing can satisfy the loneliness I feel. As I turn to God to satisfy my loneliness, I find that inner center from which I can observe and engage with the world...with greater clarity and understanding.
Solitude is the key to right action flowing from a right heart - a heart made right by intensive communion with God's presence in that secret inner sanctuary.