Life & Spirituality,  Meditation,  Meditative Writing – poetic essays and contemplative experiences

The Companionship of the Self

Prologue

Every soul longs for a world that is beautiful, a life where relationships flow effortlessly, and companionship feels natural. Yet, in the quiet corners of our existence, a question waits for us: Why is it so hard to live this beauty?

In that silence, answers do not always comfort us. Sometimes they challenge us, sometimes they break our illusions. It was in such a silence that I discovered: the actual journey is not about living relationships, it is about living myself.

This reflection is not an explanation but an invitation. It asks us to look closely at the delicate thread between companionship and dependence, between freedom and slavery, between love that gives life and love that takes it away.

Here begins the story of a companionship that does not bind, but liberates, the companionship of the self.

The companionship of the self

The Article

I have discovered a truth within me: every human being longs to live in a beautiful world. Yet I find myself unable to live in that world. This impossibility does not discourage me; it stops me, silences me, and inspires me to look at everything more carefully.

In that silence, an answer appears with a deep and assertive voice:
“It is not possible. You will never be able to live it.”

Why?

Immediately, questions rise again:
“No, this is not true. It only seems true. What we seek is not to live in relationships, what we truly seek is to live ourselves.”

When Is a Relationship Truly a Relationship?

A relationship is only a relationship when it depends upon companionship. But if a relationship demands companionship, that very demand reveals its weakness. Relationship and companionship are not two separate things; they are the same form.

The real question is: how do I make my companion my partner?
We may walk together in life, yet not everyone who walks beside us is truly a companion. And not every relationship is companionship.

The Illusion of Giving and Taking

Never begin the story of life by giving.
If you choose the policy of giving, you will spend your whole life giving. You will remain a disciple forever.

If you choose the policy of taking, you will begin a business. You will remain an exploiter forever.

Instead, the first purpose of life must be pure and true: never allow yourself to be exploited. This cannot be explained to others; it must begin within yourself.

The Path of Support, Not Dependence

To live truly, you must not let yourself be exploited. Relationships must be pure, not opportunities for advantage. How can this be done?

I realized: I will not merely be a giver, nor a taker. I will learn to receive support. My relationships will not support me in ways that secretly take advantage of me. I will walk with awareness.

Support must come in the form of advice, not companionship. I will ask for guidance, but I will not surrender my freedom. For I have always breathed freedom, never slavery.

Becoming One’s Own Companion

I have relationships. I have companionship. But I never allowed companionship to become partnership, because I knew that partnership could one day turn into dependence. And dependence is the first step of slavery, the first dust that erases the freshness of a relationship.

Until I become my own companion, no one else can truly be my companion. So I began by walking with myself.

What I did not know was this: in becoming my own companion, I became the companion of the entire world.

Epilogue

In the end, I discovered that relationships are not cages, nor are they wings. They are mirrors, reflecting the way we walk with ourselves. If I am enslaved within, every bond becomes heavy. If I am free within, every bond becomes light.

The journey of companionship is not about finding someone to walk beside me, but about learning to walk beside myself without fear, without exploitation, without dependence. From that place, the universe itself leans closer, offering its eternal friendship.

So I leave this reflection with a simple truth:
When we are our own companions, every step becomes a festival, and every relationship, a song of freedom.

Today, no one may stand as my companion, but I feel the companionship of the whole universe. Because I do not exploit myself, I do not allow myself to be taken advantage of, and in turn, I cannot exploit anyone else. This beauty has spread so far that the universe itself has become my companion.

Closing Realization

Until we learn to take companionship, even if only from ourselves, we cannot live a relationship beautifully.

Quotes

“Until I become my own companion, no one else can truly be my companion.”

“Dependence is the first dust that erases the freshness of a relationship.”

“Never begin the story of life by giving or taking, begin it by refusing to be exploited.”

“In becoming my own companion, I became the companion of the entire universe.”

“We do not want to live relationships; we want to live ourselves.”

Reflective Questions
QuestionPurpose of Reflection
Am I living my relationships, or am I living myself through them?To examine the balance of self and others.
Do I confuse companionship with dependence?To clarify the difference between freedom and attachment.
In what areas of my life am I not my own companion yet?To discover hidden places of dependence.
How can I receive support without becoming dependent?To learn the art of guidance without slavery.
What would change if I first became my own companion?To imagine the power of self-sufficiency in love.
Closing Blessing

“May you walk first with yourself in freedom, so that every step with others becomes pure companionship.”

Dedication

Dedicated to every soul who longs to live relationships in freedom, and to discover the universe as their true companion.

Author’s Note

This article was born from a moment of silence in my own life, when the questions of freedom and companionship confronted me with great force. I realized that what I was truly searching for was not a perfect relationship with others, but a living companionship with myself.

By becoming my own companion, I discovered a freedom that allowed me to walk without dependence, and from that freedom, my relationships began to breathe differently. What once felt like absence slowly became presence, not only of people, but of the universe itself.

I share these words as a mirror, not as an answer. May they remind you that true companionship begins with you, and that when you honor your own freedom, you invite the entire universe to walk beside you.

Special Thanks

Someone said this to me when I told him about my experience. I thank him with a lot of love.

Shaheer Sehyogi

Harjinder Kaur is a writer and seeker whose works reflect spirituality, self-awareness, and the art of living. She writes from direct experience, turning life’s questions into meditative reflections that awaken wonder.

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