Hi, I’m so glad you’re here for the next edition of The Journal. The last month has been busy to say the least with exams at university, warm summer nights and lots of work on new exciting projects. For me, July has been characterized with so many lessons, moments of growth, connection and bliss, and equally there were lots of moments, where I felt overwhelmed and it was challenging to find balance amongst it all. If you feel the same, I hope you know that you are not alone and maybe my key takeaways and intentions will particularly resonate with you.
1
When we are authentic and honest, we can develop and build deep connections with others. For real connections require vulnerability. Relationships that fulfill and nourish us grow when we decide to courageously show up and be ourselves. When we come back and connect with our heart, the values, principles and wishes that lie within, we break down the barriers that often make us feel isolated. By opening our heart, we allow others to see us as we truly are—unique, flawed, and worthy of love, while aligning our actions with our desires and intentions. Releasing the need to conform, letting go of the belief that you need to change for someone to love you and staying true to who you are, will let you find the right people. The people who genuinely appreciate you for who you are. Be yourself so the right people will love you.
2
Happiness is not all there is. It’s really not about being happy all the time, but about letting ourselves feel all emotions. It’s about understanding the power and value of emotions as they communicate with us. Each emotion, whether joy, sadness, anger, or fear, has its own beauty and way of providing us with guidance. Through feeling it all we develop a closer connection to ourselves, identifying needs, desires and boundaries that we were perhaps not previously aware of. Although sometimes it can feel uncomfortable to sit with our emotions, the moment we accept and embrace them, they begin to lose their power and we start to recognize how beautiful they are—feeling is what makes us human. And so the richness of life is not found in the pursuit of happiness but in our emotional complexity, which allows us to experience life in its fullest form.
3
Moments of solitude, quietness and calmness allow for clarity and peace to find us. With a lot of noise, rush, chaos and constant change around us, making space for serenity lets us turn within. Solitude offers a sacred space where we can retreat from the constant demands and pressures of the external environment and reconnect with our inner selves. In these quiet moments, we can reflect deeply on our thoughts, emotions, and experiences, allowing us to better understand and process them. Letting ourselves sit in the silence, confronts us with our own heart and intuition, becoming more aware. And often it is this retreat and reconnection that we need in order to find direction. To find that the answers we were looking for around us, were within us all along. Often we just need to listen, to connect and to be. Then peace and contentment will come to us.
1
be more gentle with myself. I will listen closer to my body, its needs and boundaries, giving myself time and space to rest and recharge. I will let myself slow down, relax and just be kind to my own heart and those of others.
2
turn off my phone more. I will reduce the time I spend on my digital devices, working and scrolling through social media. Instead, I will focus more on being present in the moment and returning to the here and now.
1
Although the last month was a wild chaos of highs and lows, I experienced some really wholesome moments that made my heart happy. Looking back I’m particularly grateful for walks at the Isar with my friends, time with my family and cuddles with Finley. Equally, I’m so happy we finally found a beautiful apartment for my sister in Hamburg (I knew it would be hard, but not this hard) and working on my BIG project with such a great team has filled my heart with so much meaning, purpose, and really reminded me of my WHY. I can’t wait for everything to come…stay tuned!