Focusing on yourself is an art and a form of a self-care. One of the practical ways to do this is to explore the power of silence.

The conventional ways to perceive silence is as absence of external noise. But in its essence, it is much more than this- it transcends beyond the external to reach our core and to manifest itself into silence of the mind and a feeling of piece.

Spending time in silence is therefore not so much about staying in a noise-free place, but about keeping your mind silent.

Silence allows you to connect to yourself and to hear yourself. Silence also helps you to unleash your creativity and to generate new ideas.

It gives you the space to observe your thoughts, to take distance from them and to change the ones that are taking energy away from you, such as worry, fear and anger.

Spending time in silence is one of the most challenging endeavors- there never seems to be time, it makes us sleepy, and it is something that we need to do alone. Indeed, nobody can do it for us.

The power of practice is in your hands and it is also one of the best investments that we can make. Give it a try!

More about my experience with a ten-day silent meditation called Vipassana – here.

In 2014 Matthew Mcconaughey received an Oscar for his role in the “Dallas buyers’ club”.  Upon receiving his award, he delivers one of the most inspiring speeches of all times which main message is to be your own model and strive to become a better version of yourself. Watch, enjoy and stay inspired! 

Have you noticed that your feelings and thoughts very often evolve around the external things around you- your job, relationships and what surrounds you?

We are rarely giving our attention and energy to ourselves, focusing on how we feel and what we need to heal, grow and develop.

It starts from school where we are thought to study and memorize external facts and to strive for grades and approval. It continues as we grow up through high school and university where we want to be a part of the group of the ” cool kids” and often do not express ourselves in an authentic way in order to be more easily accepted. And it consolidates when we start working- in the corporate environment competition and comparison are so prevalent that you often feel inclined to do “the right thing” rather than what you really want to go for.

So how about focusing on yourself and your inner world and taking care of yourself for a change? Because in the end, if you don’t do it no one will do it for you!

There are people who leave traces in the most powerful way – through their personal example. One such person is Stephen Hawking, whose journey ended today. He will forever be a bright and shining inspiration to all of us to give 110% despite the challenges we face and to believe in endless possibilities.  Because there are all around us!

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”

It is one of life’s wonders that our most powerful ally can also be our worst enemy. This two faced character is our mind and the quote of Marc Twain depicts the shadow power of our mind so well.

Today I want  to introduce you to one of my favorite flowers which also happens to be one of the most resilient ones – the Snowdrop.

Despite its fragile appearance this little flower has the power to penetrate snow and ice and make an appearance in early March announcing the end of the winter.

It is really amazing how nature can be our best teacher. Wouldn’t it be great if we could be a bit more like the Snowdrop- gentle and gracious, yet determined and strong? 

Success is never a random thing. It is the natural consequence of vision, action and faith which are very often enveloped by a lot of uncertainty. And only the few ones who have the persistence to take all the steps will see the best results.

I will be very proud of myself when I manage to fully develop this strength – holding grudges and not forgiving others can take too much of our energy which could be put into so much better uses.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Buddhist master who has introduced the concept of mindfulness to the Western world. He is also one of my biggest inspirations ( more about him and the wise little book ” The miracle of mindfulness can be found here). It is of no surprise the movie about him that was released last year is something that is topping my “To watch” list 😉