I could live, but how could I learn...
Hello! 🌻 This week, I’m sharing how taking intentional pauses has helped me learn more about myself and live a more wholehearted life. ✨
It’s Saturday morning. I’m at my desk with calming music playing in the background, writing this newsletter. The magical thing is that every time I sit to write, something always comes to mind the night before—almost like my thoughts prepare themselves for this moment. Maybe it’s not magic; maybe it’s just the intentional pause I give myself to reflect.
This is my 9th post, and it’s been such a gift to me. It’s made me more aware of myself. I’ve realized that while you can always live through life, truly learning through it requires taking meaningful pauses to reflect. Writing has become that pause for me—a way to notice the things I might otherwise miss while simply living through life.
For example, this week, I noticed how I was still upset about something in the present that had its roots in the past. Would I have caught that without reflecting on my week? Probably not. Writing gives me a way to connect the dots, to step outside the swirl of thoughts and make sense of them.
Take a little pause 🌼
Look back at your day or week:
Were there moments when your mind felt hijacked by a reactive pattern?
If you could rewrite one moment, how would you show up differently, more aligned with what you aspire to be?
Write it down—it can be such a powerful shift.
Nuggets for your soul💫
The greatest sources of our suffering are the lies we tell ourselves, urging us to be honest with ourselves about every facet of our experience. People can never get better without knowing what they know and feeling what they feel.
— Elvin Semrad
My moment of pause/calm🌿
This week felt heavy—so much so that words didn’t seem enough to share with others. Journaling became my safe space, but instead of keeping what I wrote, I tore up the paper and let it go. There was something freeing about it, like releasing the weight of my racing thoughts.
Do you ever do this—write just to let it all out and then let it go?
What have you heard, seen, or done this week that brought you a moment of calm? I’d love to hear! 💛
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Take care and rest well,
Rachna
Wonderful reflection, Rachna. Recently, I've been thinking how the amount of time I spend reflecting on a moment often leads to me valuing and appreciating it more. Naturally, I have to spend a lot of time thinking about my work and what went well/badly — If I don't, I can make mistakes! But it's easy to neglect those moments of quality time with friends and family and then I don't remember them as well. If you haven't read the message about Kurt Vonnegut "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is" then I'd encourage you to — it's something I need to remember more.
Thank you for inspiring my own reflection.