Loneliness as a period of growth and healing

"One of the most surprising things about the readings given for people who were lonely and were looking for friends, companionship, or a marriage partner is that Cayce never told them where to find a relationship. Instead, the focus of the information was that there was something individuals were supposed to be doing with their time alone. Oftentimes, the readings saw loneliness as a period needing to encompass both personal growth and healing as well as a time of reaching out to others who were less fortunate. Individuals who were suffering from all kinds of loneliness were frequently told to begin discovering their unique soul talents and abilities and to find ways in which they could be helpful to others. Cayce believed that once individuals put their efforts in these directions, relationships would inevitably be drawn to them."

Kevin Todeschi (1999). Edgar Cayce on Soul Mates: Unlocking the Dynamics of Soul Attraction. ARE Press: Virginia.pp. 132-33.

People tend to regard loneliness as something bad and miserable that they want to avoid or hide from others.  However, this is not true, as indicated by information through Cayce. Every event can be a precious learning opportunity. It is whether you can take it that way or not that makes a difference.

Not unlimited choice

"All the regression studies agree that the planning process is done in collaboration with the spiritual guides. The guides present the soul with options for the next life. The soul's previous actions, or karma, determine the parameters and limits of its options. Based on its past performance, the soul is offered a menu of lives that will teach it what it needs to learn next. It does not have unlimited choice. If that were the case, why would anyone choose a life of hardship or tragedy.

Even with karma limiting the options, the soul still has a mind-boggling number of lives to choose from. The coordination it requires to choose the right one is complex, a matter of balancing multidimensional factors in intricate ways. The decision must consider not only the needs of the soul, but must also coordinate its choice with the needs and plans of other souls it expects to join--particularly the parents."

Carol Bowman (2001). Return from Heaven: Beloved Relatives Reincarnated within Your Family. pp. 142-43.

I believe that there are at least two patterns, very roughly speaking: 1) events are 'predestined' to occur and there is no choice but allow them to happen; and 2) we can make a free choice from among many alternative and whatever choice we have made does not cause any disaster.  An example of the first case is death: we cannot choose/change how many years we live and how we end our lives (i.e., how we return home.) In the second case, the most typical and simplest example is what we eat for every meal.  Except for obviously unhealthy diets, we can eat whatever we like for breakfast, lunch and evening meal.