Just be you

How brave you are for slowing down. For not finishing that to-do list.

How courageous you are for not crossing that finish line, because your body said “enough.” 

How fearless you are for choosing the quiet of your soul over those voices driving you always towards more.

How bold, how rebellious - 

you, out there, 

honoring your own natural rhythm, 

going against the culture’s breakneck speed.

We tend to make heroes of those hungry with ambition, relentlessly doing, producing always more. 

We applaud those who refuse to stop or rest. Who push themselves so hard in the name of achievement, that they sacrifice their body and soul and heart in the process. We celebrate those who are ill or aging but never show it, never slow down, never reveal a moment of vulnerability.

This drivenness can be heroic, at times. It can be necessary for our survival or the greater good.

But,

I want to make heroes of those who slow down.

I want to make heroes of those who listen to their bodies, who do not strive for more than what the soul truly needs.

I want to make heroes of those who do not force or push, but surrender to each moment as it opens.

I want to applaud those who may not be driven towards success as we know it, but instead are nurturing something deep and subtle and needed.

I want to celebrate those brave enough to cease all doing, even for a second, and sit with the ache in their hearts. A task many find harder than summiting the highest peak. 

I want to make heroes of those who honor their limitations. 

Who are unable to keep up with the busy-ness of our times, yet show up to each profound, necessary moment.

It is truly an act of courage and rebellion to do any such thing, in a world demanding you resist your own self, your own rhythm, your own soul.

And the paradox is, that often when we cease our incessant doing, even for a minute, and listen to that quiet voice within, we discover what it is we absolutely must do, and what instead can fall away. 

We finally hear the call towards what serves our soul, and what then will serve the world. Nothing more, nothing less.

A hero is simply someone brave. 

So come, be softly brave. 

Be a new, quieter kind of hero. 

Few may applaud, it’s true, 

but your soul certainly will ...

Leyla Aylin  🌺

Artist Credit : Laivi Poder

cherish your friends

A strong friendship is not about daily conversations or spending every moment together. It is about the deep connection that remains, no matter how much time passes or how far apart you are. True friends understand that life gets busy, responsibilities grow, and priorities change, but their bond remains unchanged.

A real friend is someone who supports you even when you are not constantly in touch. They celebrate your achievements, comfort you during struggles, and stand by you when you need them most.

They do not demand your time but appreciate the moments you share. Even if weeks or months go by without speaking, when you reconnect, it feels like no time has passed.

Friendship is about trust, loyalty, and mutual respect.

It does not require daily validation. It is knowing that no matter where life takes you, you have someone who genuinely cares. A simple message, a phone call, or even a shared memory is enough to reignite the warmth between true friends.

Cherish the friends who stay in your heart, even when life keeps you apart. They are the ones who truly matter, proving that real friendships are built on love, not on constant presence.

- The Storyteller

take the trip

Take the trip.

Even though it means you’ll have to use vacation days and a little extra money out of your budget.

And yes, there’s so much to do and it’s hard to rearrange your schedule.

Take the trip.

Even though you might have to move a little bit slower than you’re used to.

And you’ll stop a few extra times to chat with strangers and ask about the weather and make small talk with people just because it’s what they do.

“Hi. Where are you from? We don’t know much about oceans, but we can tell you all about farming.”

Take the trip.

Even though you worry about new locations or tricky roads or places that aren’t kid-friendly.

Take the trip with your mom and dad. Your sister. Your brother. Your aunt and grandma and grandpa and cousin. Take the trip with that friend from high school you always said you’d meet again. With your spouse and your kids. Your loved ones.

Take the trip.

It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. If you simply can’t get out town, meet up for coffee. Play a game of cards. Do whatever you have to do to get together.

Because you’re all getting older, and life is getting busier and you’re just not sure when you’ll be able to do this again.

Take the trip.

Responsibilities will be there when you get back.

Work can wait.

Life can’t.

Take the trip.

Because these memories will live in your heart forever. 

Leslie Means

you are enough

You don't have to be tidier, thinner, funnier, or smarter. You don't have to be more assertive, more ambitious, more social, or more productive. 

You can keep growing, but you don't have to be more of anything in order to be enough...you already are.

Author unknown 

Artist: Edgar Harutyunyan