How much do you enjoy the pleasure of your own company? Ms. Morrell shares her enthusiasm for spending time alone in a style that's amusing and provocative, lighthearted and inspiring, and she dispels the negative connotations of the word 'alone.' "Though my book is about 'Finding the Motivation and Courage to Spend Time Alone' and not missing out on Life simply because you don't have someone to accompany you, it is, ironically, also about connection and belonging." According to Ms. Morrell, our personal stories are what make us interesting. They help us to connect with, teach and inspire others. So sitting home and not doing something or going somewhere just because you'd have to do it by yourself are missed opportunities for creating your 'stories' and for enriching your own life and the lives of those with whom you interact.Due to our social nature, many people are apprehensive at the prospect of doing the simplest of activities without company. Ms. Morrell breaks down those barriers into simple terms so they become less daunting, whether it's the reader's choice to be alone or if it's a personal set of circumstances. Some of the practical, solitary experiences she writes about are going to a movie, eating out, attending a class, working out and traveling. Besides these practical applications, the book also talks, on a deeper level, about the value of solitude, meditation, silence and creating balance in your life. Everyone needs to honor themselves with some 'alone time, ' whether you're single or in a relationship, living alone or living with others.Ms. Morrell doesn't pretend to have all the answers. So, at the end of each chapter, she poses provocative questions and offers exercises, books and suggestions to help readers find their own answers for stepping out of their comfort zones and enriching their lives in the pleasure of their own company.
About the Author: Ms. Morrell was raised in northeast Ohio, but has lived on both U.S. coasts and places in between. She attributes her gypsy spirit to her Hungarian and Bohemian bloodlines, "...with a little Italian passion thrown in to make life interesting." The oldest child in her family and extended family of cousins, Susan was comfortable playing alone and spent a lot of her time reading about "best friend" Nancy Drew's adventures as an amateur detective and imagining herself in a similar role when she grew up. While she never became a detective, Ms. Morrell did assimilate some of Nancy's independent spirit. Her work experiences run the gamut from large corporations like Xerox, to small family-run businesses, banks, an advertising agency and even her own interior design and consulting firms. Currently, Susan lives in Utah and has a motivational speaking/training business called Speaking of Enrichment, while also working at a ski resort year-round. In most of the jobs she's held, she's been involved with personnel training and employee publications, putting her writing and speaking skills to diversified use. Since settling in Park City in 2000, she's been a member of an improvisational comedy troupe and a lay minister at the Unity church, has produced a CD of guided meditations with a local musician and has conducted workshops on creativity and spirituality, often talking about her solitary experiences and how they've enhanced her life. Ms. Morrell was married and divorced in her thirties and, while she didn't have children of her own, claims her brother Tony's children as her own. "My favorite role is being an aunt to my three 'kids' - nieces Christina and Rachel and nephew Michael. "Auntie" Mame Dennis is one of my inspiring role models, and I hope that I inspire these three young people in the same way by the life I live."