There are times in our lives when we crave isolation; times when we want to remove ourselves from society; times when we want to close the door and keep the world at bay. "Me time'' is important.
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We can use "me time'' to reassess and regroup, recharge our emotional resources and refresh our spiritual strength. The result can and should be part of the lifelong journey towards the target of being the best that we can be.
The problem is that isolation can become a prison of our own creation.
Isolation can interfere with perspective, altering the way we view our lives and the people around us.
There's the very real danger that the door we have closed can become too heavy for us to re-open without assistance. What we had hoped would be an oasis can instead become a trap.
The answer lies in balance. Determining when isolation can tip over from self-protection to self-harm, when something that can be good for us becomes destructive, is a skill.
And there are times when we need outside help to recognise and achieve that balance; when we need someone to introduce us to strategies we can use to cope with the inevitable disappointments and distresses that come our way.
It's by becoming involved and by staying involved that we come to realise that we are not alone; that - to a greater or lesser degree - we are all battling the same demons, the same fears and insecurities.
Most importantly involvement can show us that, that although limited periods of isolation can be advantageous, they are not the answer.
