#19: Where attention goes energy flows!

Limited real estate of the mind and more!

Hello dearest,

My last week is a week that I will remember for a lifetime. More about that some other day. Today’s issue is going to be a very honest conversation (though a monologue right now, would love to hear your thoughts on what gets discussed).

Sharing a few profound reflections and learnings that I have picked up and tried to embrace in the past 2 months.

Here we go

Doubling joy and celebration - So, something that I have been trying to do is double up on my celebration, on my joy. But how? By this very simple phrase for which I have permanently built a “park here” sign within me:

“Turn envy into inspiration”.

More simply put when you see someone happy, be happy for their happy, when you watch someone celebrate, celebrate their celebration, when you witness someone smiling in joy, smile watching their joy. This thought process is a game changer in helping combat the anxiety and restlessness that comparing yourself with others brings.

More on Comparison - I stumbled upon this really really beautiful video (please watch it! linked in the end of this newsletter) where the speaker basically shares “we were never meant to see our own faces”. That how for the most of history the only reflections we saw of ourselves were blurry ones in water. We could see everyone else’s faces but we could never compare it with ours because we never knew what we looked like. And she goes on to speak about how the introduction of mirrors, video calls and social media have been giving us an overload of opportunities to keep looking at ourselves, dissecting our ‘flaws’ and comparing them with others.

This perspective felt significant to hold onto, just to remind myself that I am beautiful exactly the way I am.

Moving on, Where attention goes, energy flows - for me this is sacred. I’ve consciously been trying to limit my attention on things that are outside my circle of influence, on things that that don’t take me closer to peace, on conversations and actions that don’t align with my goals or values. This is one of the biggest reasons behind why I don’t make space for grief or struggle or sadness in my poems anymore - because where my attention goes, my energy flows and I want to deliberately conserve my energy to flow on what adds value to me.

And that takes me to my next point on making peace with the fact that there will be Judgement - Trust me, I am not free from this loop either; the discomfort of being judged does occupy space within my thoughts. But I recently heard this line on a podcast about manifestation and it has brought me massive comfort and ease in the way I perceive judgements.

Literally just that one phrase - And if so, so what? does that make my happiness different, does that make my work different, does that change anything about my relationships, NO, then why bother!

Speaking about mental space, The heart has always got room for more, but the mind? NOPE! So I wrote in the past about how the heart has always got room for more (PS it’s one of my most favourite issues, read it here). But what I also very strongly believe in is that the mind doesn’t always have room for more. Now I don’t know the science behind how the brain works, but what I have found to be true for me is that the mind can only have so many dominant thoughts at any given moment in time and more the clutter the harder and longer it takes to make quality decisions and to have laser focus on the things that matter.

The mind has got only so much real estate!

We get to choose what to plant, nurture and build there. So I have been choosing my thoughts and emotions more consciously. When processing something, I have been working towards asking myself “does this deserve to occupy space within my mind?”

And that’s everything for today my loveliest people. What did you resonate with? What made you feel like this was exactly what you needed to hear? What are some reflections and learnings that you have had in the last 2 months? I would love to hear from you, I am all ears :)

Before you go, a few things I’ve picked up & would love to share

Something to calm you: headspace has got some amazing guided meditation processes. Here’s a 1-min process

Something to watch: why not to compare yourself; we were never meant to see our own faces theory beautifully explained in a bite sized video

Something to read: For a change I’ve been reading a just-for-the-enjoyment-of-it, cute-sweet-romance novel “Too good to be True.” So if you’re looking for a feel-good easy read in the romance genre this might be a good book to pick up!

Something to cook: I’ve been craving cookies and this 3 ingredient healthy cookie recipe has been tempting me to try out

Something to celebrate: one of my closest friends just got engaged and another one of my closest friends is getting married this weekend! So much joy is homed within me :’)

That’s all for this week my dearest readers. I’ll see you soon next week, in the meantime, write to me, I’d love to hear from you.

With warmth and wonder,

Vaishnavi

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I’m Vaishnavi Radhakrishnan, a management trainee in a business that I love, a poet, a writer and a 23 year old figuring out her space in this world. I love admiring bougainvilleas, being by the ocean, and buying jibbitz for my purple crocs.