Lessons From June
Letting light and darkness co-exist, embracing simplicity and more.
It’s 8 pm on Sunday, June 30, and I have finally picked up my laptop to write this week’s newsletter. I decided to end my day early (by 7 pm), probably a decision I last took in January this year.
I saw the light through the curtains in my room slowly fade as the sun set while I sat in my PJs and caught up on my reading - a few pages of
’s Already Enough and lots of newsletters on Substack. I have craved moments like this throughout June, but finally having the courage to prioritise guilt-free rest over work and studies makes me realise that rest can easily fall to the end of your priority list if you aren’t intentional about it. If you have been feeling rushed lately, I invite you to pause for a moment, take a deep breath and soak in the stillness before you move on with the rest of your day.
June was a month where light and darkness co-existed in my life. I celebrated 24 years on this planet with a fun little project involving some of the best writers on Substack. In real life, I spent the day with the people I adore and received tons of good wishes from extended family, friends and even some acquaintances. While living in this bubble of love and joy, I felt myself approaching the results day of my Actuarial Exams that I worked so hard for (while also doing a full-time job) in the first half of this year. Questioning whether I did enough to cross the finish line, the uncertainty of potentially having to start over or pass and move on to the next one started to weigh on me. I don’t know the outcome yet, results day is today - when you read this newsletter, but I would like to believe that I am prepared for it either way.
Let darkness and light co-exist. No one has only one of these in their life at a given point of time.
Be okay with letting go of the need to control every single outcome in life. Give your best and hope for the best.
Be okay with taking frequent pauses to regain your strength, especially when surrounded by chaos.
LESSONS FROM JUNE
There is nothing more beautiful in life than choosing to embrace your simplicity. Eating a simple meal, enjoying a slow morning, choosing wholesome conversations over drinking and dancing - really falling back on the simple and normal things that calm your mind.
More often than not, your body tries to communicate signs of chaos way before it arrives. If you don’t act on it, you willingly ignore it. Next time your body signals a looming chaos, slow down and give it the rest and the pace it deserves to minimise potential harm.
Everyday, you get a day older in your life experience, and it’s okay for each day to look different. Some days lean more towards work, while others lean more towards rest. This imbalance is what is called life.
The best way to deal with loneliness is to put on some music and dance like there’s no tomorrow. Your own company is more entertaining than you think.
You know you’ve made progress when “What will people say?” becomes a meaningless sentence that no longer stops you from living your best life by showing up as your best self.
Consistency compounds. You get to choose the direction (good or bad) in which you want it to compound though.
THIS WEEK’s RECOMMENDATIONS
Let Joy In by
.Am I Too Old to Change My Life? by
.Fav Five 🖐️ | Ultimate guide to mid-year planning by
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Great piece 🌿
i just posted a poem about attracting and allowing whatever is to be to be. you're so right, light and darkness can co-exist. both things can be true.