The December Pause

December is an peculiar month. At first, everything speeds up: deadlines multiply, inboxes swell, and the pressure to wrap things up intensifies. Then, almost suddenly, it slows down. Pressure eases, and with it comes an invitation to slow down, look back, and ask an important question: Where am I actually

The Gentle Alchemy Within

Believe it or not, we are all magicians. We cast spells every day. Yet, we rarely notice the moment we let our magic out. Sometimes it slips out as a soft, automatic “you idiot” when we drop something, or a text telling our friends that we are “too stupid” to

We’re All Winging It

A few weeks ago, during a lunch with my parents, my dad mentioned that he was twenty-eight years old when he and my mom moved from Portugal to South Africa with barely any luggage, carrying a wide-eyed three-year old. I froze, my fork poised in front of my open mouth.

The Myth of One True Purpose

A couple of weeks ago, I stood in a room filled with love, laughter, and the kind of joy that comes from celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday. Food was served, music blared, and everyone shouted over one another. We raised glasses, cheering impassioned speeches about the new season in

Show, Don't Tell

There’s a deceptively simple idea in fiction writing that has endured since the dawn of the craft: show, don’t tell. Instead of writing: “She was angry at him”, we should write something along the lines of: “At the sight of him, her fists clenched, trembled, and it was

The Medicine of Breath

A few months ago, during a silent retreat, I experienced a guided holotropic breathwork session, led by an experienced somatic therapist. I lay on my mat, eyes closed, rhythmic music drowning out the sounds of the synchronized breathing around me. Within minutes, I could feel energy building in my body.

When the Sands Shift, Who Remains?

One of my favourite scenes in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the moment when Alice meets the Caterpillar. “Who are YOU?” said the Caterpillar. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, sir… at least I knew who I was when I got up this morning,

The Next Circle of Empathy

I recently started reading Ray Kurzweil’s book, The Singularity is Nearer. The premise is simple: one day, in the next few years, we will reach the Singularity, which according to Kurzweil is when humanity will merge with artificial intelligence. Love it or hate it, AI isn’t going anywhere;

The Process of Mastery

Sometimes, when I’m at the gym and not feeling particularly motivated, I listen to compilations of motivational speeches. On one particular day, I heard a quote that stopped me mid-set: “Champions are process-driven.” I can’t recall who said it, but the idea has stayed with me since. It

Let Light Soften Us

It had been one of those days where everything seemed to pile up. I arrived at work with a long to-do list and left with an even longer one. Colleagues kept walking into my office, each one bringing an additional set of tasks, my phone rang off the hook, last-minute

The Architecture of Energy

Earlier this week, I facilitated an internal workshop on the Working Genius framework by Patrick Lencioni. I stood before my colleagues, explaining how the six “geniuses” reveal the types of work that energise or drain us, and guiding them to understand themselves and how they function as a team. It

The Case for Gentleness

When I first joined the United Nations as an international civil servant, I was quickly consumed by the sheer volume of work. Dozens, sometimes hundreds, of emails poured in each day. My to-do list grew longer the more I crossed things off. The stakes were high, the pressure constant. I

The Starlight Threshold

I’ve known a few people whose energy is so frenetic, so unsettled, that things often seem to go wrong around them. They are regularly frustrated with something or in conflict with someone. And then there are those who are calm and collected despite the chaos around them. They flow

Between Code and Consciousness

Imagine a future where we have solved the climate crisis, cured disease, and eliminated poverty. One where the abundance that already exists in our world is distributed more equitably. Where we are in harmony with nature, with time and resources to connect with others, pursue our creative passions, and live

In Praise of the Scenic Route

I’ve always been curious about many things. Currently, I work in international development, but I’ve had prior careers in consulting, entrepreneurship and corporate. I’ve studied science, law and business, and am now pursuing a certificate in Futures Thinking. I’ve dabbled in drawing, painting, coding, musical instruments

Don’t Mistake the Milestone for the Meaning

When my first business failed, it felt like the end. I poured my savings, years of effort, and even my identity into it, forging myself as a social entrepreneur who would change the world. My vision was grand: help millions of people transition to a plant-based diet, save millions of

The Grounding Experiment

A few months ago, a colleague handed me a copy of Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall. Within the first few pages, I was introduced to the Tarahumara, a native Mexican tribe who are known for running extraordinary distances—barefoot. The image lodged itself in my mind. I’ve been

We Are Stardust in Motion

One evening during my recent silent retreat, our small group hiked into the mountains. We donned our headlamps, wrapped ourselves in warm clothing, and followed our guide. With the sandy ground crunching under our boots, our guide pointed out interesting flora and rock formations. We crawled through narrow tunnels and

Softening in the Stillness

I've been off-grid in the Cederberg Mountains, spending six silent days at Bliss and Stars. I had certain expectations about the retreat, and it turned out to be nothing like what I imagined—and exactly what I needed. Run by Daria Rasmussen and Heine Wieben, high-paced corporate executives

Disconnect to Reconnect

Soon, my wife and I are stepping away from our busy lives to experience one of my bucket list items: a silent retreat. As the day approaches, I find myself both excited at the opportunity for extended stillness, and apprehensive at what this may bring up. In our digital world,

There’s Always Another Way

The Wheel of Time is arguably one of the most influential epic fantasy series. It inspired authors like Brandon Sanderson (who finished the series when Robert Jordan died) and George R. R. Martin, spawned a TV adaptation, and helped young people all over the world believe that they, too, could

How I Found My Way Back to Myself

A few years ago, I found myself drifting through life without a clear sense of direction. My calendar was filled, yet I felt unfulfilled, often agreeing to things that left me drained and wondering why my choices didn’t feel right. I drifted along, hoping solutions would magically appear. Unsurprisingly,

The Power of Purposeless Play

When I was younger, there was one thing that was my primary refuge from real life: playing video games. I’d come home from school, rush through my homework, turn on my computer and immerse myself in digital worlds for hours on end. I had few friends to hang out

Interlude

It’s been a busy week, and though I haven’t had as much time as I’d like for writing, I’ve found myself contemplating leisure, particularly how it intersects with productivity. At first glance, leisure and productivity seem paradoxical. Aren’t they opposites? I used to believe exactly

The Ancient Art of Finding Calm in an Age of Overwhelm

Anyone who has read any news in the last few years would agree that the world feels like it's spinning out of control. We are surrounded by crises, whether it is wars breaking out all over the world, a faltering economy, or loved ones falling ill. This unpredictable