Lessons From February
Monthly recap of the things I learned about friendships, pauses, stillness and quitting in February.
Ever since I started writing for my blog a couple years ago, one thing that has really helped me stay consistent is OBSERVATION. Everything I write is based on the things I have observed in my life so far or the ones I have read about.
Everything that has happened till now and the possibility of what could be prompts me to observe.
A major part of this process is to stop and reflect back on shorter periods of my life, which is something most of us forget to do, in my opinion. We’re so busy focusing on long-term goals or seeking moments of remarkable progress in our past that we forget to realise that ‘Little by little, a little becomes a LOT.’
That is why I decided to make a list of all things I learned and observed at the end of every month in my journal. Not every journal entry has made it to your inbox in the last 2 years (thanks to my fear of judgment that creeps in every once in a while.), but I am glad this one did.
February was chaotic, to say the least, and writing this list made me realise that I am human after all. I am allowed to choose to keep going or start over whenever I want, especially in the middle of chaos.
EVERYTHING I LEARNED IN FEBRUARY
QUITTING DOES NOT EQUATE TO FAILING. It means you keep moving, just in a different direction than what you had originally planned.
Pauses are necessary for clarity. I took a break from Unwind’s Instagram last month, only to realise how much unnecessary pressure it added to this season of my life and how badly I needed to step away from it.
If your intuition asks you to pause, then slow down.
We lose friendships because either party takes a step back from that string of communication. It could be you. It could be your friend. You never know when is the last time you will interact with certain people as you slowly redirect in different directions. And it’s absolutely okay.
Having a moment to breathe during the day is the bare minimum if you want to survive in this fast-paced world. If you feel guilty for starting your day slow or taking a break in the middle of the day to just BE, rethink what you truly seek in life.
Being rigid may be able to take you where you want to reach, but it will always be accompanied by disappointment as your mind is always busy thinking about “What next?”.
Sometimes, it’s okay to not have a to-do list laid out for the entire day and be in the moment.
THIS WEEK’s RECOMMENDATIONS
Confession from a slow living failure. Recently came across
’s Substack and I am so invested in her work.The pressure to have a plan by
. As someone who is used to following a ‘plan’, it was so refreshing to read about how not having one is also okay in some seasons of life.Substack Diaries: Riding the roller coaster after a high by
. This post is raw, honest and simply beautiful. In a world where we often try to portray our lives as perfect, Mika’s newsletter brings the wave of authenticity which I absolutely love.If you enjoy reading Unwind, I would love it if you consider recommending the publication to your readers. Simply go to your dashboard > Recommendations > Manage > Add recommendation > Unwind.
I like the idea of sharing what you learned each month, Mansi! I write a list for myself but how you do it (publicly in a blog post) has the added advantage that others can benefit from it, too.
"Having a moment to breathe during the day is the bare minimum" YES! THE BARE MINIMUM