Things that didn't work out for me
and why I don't worry about the same.
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Now let’s dive in.
I opened my inbox and saw a rejection email from a pottery residency I had applied to. I opened Instagram and saw a post by another studio, announcing the selected applicants for another residency I’d also applied to. And just a day before sitting down to write this post, I received a “no” for a collaboration that was all set to begin this week, which would’ve meant spending a few months in the beautiful Himalayas :)
I read/see all these ‘No’ and calmly move on with my day.
Lately, I’ve noticed something new in me: I’m not as caught up with things that don’t work out. I feel a calm sense of trust that something else will. Anything truly meant for me will find me, eventually.
And you know what this shift has done? It has taken away a certain kind of rush that lived in my body for years — for making things work, for finding what I did wrong that it didn’t work out for me, for spiraling into the loop of what I could have done differently, for comparing myself with people for whom it did work out.
This has been a recent shift in me.
Specifically, I noticed it happening this year. I can now sit with any damn rejection without blaming myself. All I focus on is trying my best with the energy I have, and I let everything else find its way to me. No sulking. No spiraling into things I can’t control.
I choose to do things because I want to. And others are free to accept or reject—my application, my work, even my presence in their lives :)
So, what has brought this change in me?
If I trace it back, a few things come to mind:
I added yoga and meditation to my mornings.
I started writing and expressing more - especially here, in this newsletter.
I began reading more about the mind and body.
I joined communities with people walking alternate paths and sharing failure stories as comfortably as their success stories.
Most importantly, I started embracing life as it is.
I am purposely bringing myself to the here and NOW, especially when my mind starts wandering into the past or gets anxious about the future.
It’s not effortless. But every time I choose this way of being, it feels worth it.
Take a Little Pause 🌼
What’s something you’ve been fussing about lately?
Will it still matter to you ten weeks from now?
If not, maybe it’s time to let it go.
If yes, what other ways could get you closer to your goal?
I’d love to hear. 😊
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My Moment of Pause/Calm🌿
Sitting in the park and soaking in sunlight when my body didn’t have the energy to walk. Listening to my body and taking a rest on a weekday.
What have you heard, seen, or done this week that brought you a moment of calm? I’d love to hear! 💛
Now?
Sharing what I’m watching, reading, and learning!
📺 Slowly watching: Nothing at the moment. Any suggestions?
📖 Happily reading: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, Practical Yoga Psychology by Dr. Rishi Vivekananda, Right Kind of Wrong by Amy Edmondson, Vagabonding by Rolf Potts (More book recs? Check my list!)
🎨 Doing: Onto Day 20/100 of learning Procreate :) Also, trying out sketching characters just for fun.
Substack that inspired me this week
PS: If this newsletter brought you a moment of calm or a spark of inspiration, feel free to share it with a friend! You can also tap the ❤️ button so others can discover it on Substack. No pressure—just love and good vibes. 💛
Ways to support my creative journey 🎨✨
Register for my first bootcamp to learn how to make visuals.
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Take care! 💛
Rachna
Take a Little Pause is an illustrated weekly newsletter for anyone navigating the beautiful messiness of building a creative, calm and intentional life. If you’re on a similar journey, subscribe for free or become a paid supporter to support my writing and help bring my dream of publishing a coffee-table book to life. 💛
Lovely and inspiring you can see it this way.
Loved the narration! Will try for my post as well :)