Why alternating between quiet reflection and intentional action fosters clarity, inspiration, and emotional resilience
A Morning in Motion
This morning, after jumping on the rebounder and meditating for 10 minutes, I sat and wrote my morning pages.
It’s been a struggle to get back into the swing of things — to find the energy to create, write, work out, meditate, journal. But I know these are the practices that have positively influenced my well-being over the years.
They’ve helped me rise again and again.
After disappointment upon disappointment, sometimes I feel like life is a rollercoaster: failure, disappointment, victory, the illusion of a victory, self-doubt, disappointment, redirection, inspiration, reinvention — and on and on it goes.
I’m writing this and doing my best not to stare too long at the screen because that’s when I start to overthink it.
To create, I try not to think too much. I let it come through the open — through the stillness that precedes all creation.
The seeds are often planted in the shower, while reading, or during a conversation. And when I arrive at the page, I find it best not to have a specific goal — often, not even a direction.
When I do have a goal, I tend to write robotically, as though I’m typing up an academic paper. I prefer stream-of-consciousness writing. I want to let it flow to me and through me.
What I’ve noticed is that there are always pebbles of light — insights I carry into the next stage, the next unfolding of life.
The Practice of Returning
This daily rhythm has become a practice of returning to presence, to truth, to what steadies me.
Lately, I’ve been creating cards to return to — similar to oracle cards, each one something to meditate on. They’re gentle reminders of what supports a mindful, inspired life. I’ve linked my most recent one below.
I think I’ll make this my 100-day project —
Michael Bierut at Yale initiated the 100-Day Project to inspire consistent creative practice.
It’s simple: Choose a small action you can repeat every day for 100 days. The practice emphasizes consistency over perfection, allowing creativity to flourish through daily engagement.
Transformation often comes through repetition. Showing up daily — no matter how small the effort — plants seeds of creativity, confidence, and self-trust.
I’m on day four of this project, and yes, it’s just the beginning. But already I feel a sense of accomplishment, especially since I’ve been doing this first thing in the morning. I’m sure the time of day may shift as life does what it does — but for now, mornings are working beautifully. It brings a feeling of expression, joy, and completion.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, emphasizes the importance of habit stacking:
“The best way to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.”
This turns inspiration into integration.
Reading is already a morning ritual for me, so I start with a few pages — whatever I feel called to — and then I write a few phrases, something minimal and true to return to.
I’m feeling a lot better as the days go by — by choosing to act and create.
As I’ve been observing this cycle of returning — stillness, expression, reflection, creation — I’m reminded of something ancient and deeply human:
We are always changing.
Life doesn’t stay still, even when we do.
Everything in Motion
The idea that “everything is in motion” is often associated with the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who taught that all of life is in a state of constant flux.
Heraclitus illustrated this truth with the metaphor:
“No man ever steps in the same river twice.” — Heraclitus.
Nothing stays the same — not the river, not the self.
Buddhism teaches this too through the concept of impermanence. Nothing is fixed — not our thoughts, our bodies, or our circumstances. Everything arises and passes away.
Recognizing this, we become more allowing, fluid, forgiving, and more attuned to the present moment.
These philosophies highlight a universal truth: life is in perpetual motion.
Life often unfolds while we’re in motion — when we’re doing, creating, showing up. And yet, to truly hear what matters, we must quiet the mind.
There’s a powerful interconnection here: in stillness, we listen and receive guidance; in motion, we express and bring that insight to life.
Neither is enough on its own. But together, they form a conversation, a dance — between the inner and the outer, the unseen and the embodied.
This is how we align with the flow of life. Not by forcing answers, but by listening and stepping forward when called.
Stillness and Flow
The truth is, we are always in motion — even when still. The mind remains active. But meditation helps us develop awareness of what we’re thinking, how we’re feeling, and what we need to clear.
“Meditation is a creative art. Great paintings, sculptures, and great discoveries of science are products of deep meditation.” — Dr. Amit Ray
Meditation isn’t just about silence — it’s a fertile space, a source of clarity and insight. It’s like clearing fog from a mirror — offering us a chance to see ourselves not through stories or fears, but through presence.
It’s a simultaneous softening and sharpening.
From that clarity, we create. We act. And that action brings us into flow. It offers release, purpose, and expression.
Flow dissolves distraction and brings us fully into the moment.
We’re not pushing or forcing — we’re simply attuned, connected, aligned with life’s rhythm.
“Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.” — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
When we act, we stop overthinking. Action brings aliveness.
The flow state — where time dissolves and presence takes over — has been linked to well-being, focus, and even spiritual clarity.
In creation, we move from self-consciousness to self-connection.
These practices go hand in hand.
Together, stillness and movement help us become more actualized beings
“What a man can be, he must be.” — Abraham Maslow.
Actualization means honoring our wholeness by making space for both pause and momentum, reflection, and expression.
If this resonates, let it be a quiet call — to keep returning to what anchors and opens you.
🪶 View my most recent card on Substack Notes
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