I think we can all agree that life has felt so chaotic lately. There's just so much to take in. And the worst part is that there's not much we can do about it.
Apparently, AI will be taking over all of our jobs. The news is always filled with growing uncertainty, and natural disasters just seem more intense every year. Some days it feels like we're on a train going 100 miles hour with no way to get off.
And how are we supposed to go on with our lives as normal when all of this is happening in the background? Your heart is probably tired. I know mine is.
Life is giving us every reason to harden our shell. And I think most of us have as a way to protect ourselves and feel like we're still in control. I was taking a walk in the countryside the other day when an older farmer approached me.
At first, I thought I might be in trouble for filming with my big camera on my tripod, but he was just curious about what I was doing. We chatted for a little bit and before leaving, he walked over to his garden and picked a little flower for me. It was so unexpected and it instantly warmed my heart, but also sparked something in me.
This small little interaction reminded me of how powerful a simple kindness can be. And then I realized that in a world that tries to harden us, now more than ever, it is our challenge to stay soft and gentle. In a world that seems to be moving so fast, it is up to us to slow down and search for the beautiful things in life.
It's easy to stay soft when life is calm. But choosing softness in our chaotic state of the world, that is real strength. And maybe that's how we actually stay in control.
[Music] As an empath, I tend to absorb and carry emotions that aren't always mine. It's like an open channel, constantly tuning in to what others are feeling, what's not being said, and reading the energy in the room. I know it sounds exhausting, but it's not like I put in extra effort or anything.
It's more like a six sense, but you can imagine sometimes the load gets extremely heavy. And over the years, I learned that I have to recognize what type of situation I'm in and if I need to observe or absorb. When I'm in a social gathering with a big group of people, I tell myself that I'm just here to observe, but no need to overanalyze or have an opinion about everything.
But when someone is opening up to me, it's okay to absorb and share that moment with them. Nowadays, I feel like we need to really know the difference between the two, especially if you're an empath like me. Whatever we see on our screens, it's important to not let it absorb into the person that we are.
Yeah, we can stay informed, stay connected, but always checking in with ourselves to know when we've absorbed too much. [Music] Most of us millennials grew up with a hustle culture mentality, and we were told that being soft and gentle is a weakness. But I think it's the complete opposite.
When we choose gentleness intentionally, it's a quiet, not in your face kind of strength. And it can be even more powerful. Think of Gandhi, soft-spoken yet unshakable in his convictions.
Maya Angelo, another gentle voice, but her words carried so much weight. A big part of my 30s so far has been this journey of learning to be more gentle with myself because I believe how we treat ourselves directly reflects onto the world that we live in. Speaking of being gentle, thank you to one of my favorite gentle skincare brand, Topology, for being the sponsor of today's video.
I think I've mentioned quite a few times about my struggle with acne and I've tried everything under the sun, including all the harsh chemicals, but now I've just accepted that my scars are my battle wounds, and decided to be gentle to myself and to my skin. My no makeup routine starts with the eyebrow and eyelash serum. And right now, I have lashes done because I'm going to surf camp, but it's so nourishing for my eyebrows.
Then I like to mix the glow drops with the nine ingredient moisturizer for my bare face. It's light and the duo just makes my face look so dewy. And of course the sheer honey tinted lip oil for my lips.
Topology is a vegan and cruelty-free skin brand. Their formulas are very minimal with 80% of natural origin. If you're ready to be gentler with your skin routine, you can use the link in my description to receive a free purifying mask with charcoal and organic nettle with a purchase of $40 or more.
Thank you so much to Topology for sponsoring today's video. They say the average person has around 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. Maybe we need an updated statistic since social media and 24-hour access to any media that we want to see.
But with all this over stimulation and noise that leads to overthinking, I think it's so important to escape our monkey brains for a part of the day and live in the body. Going for a run, creating art, making ceramics, or anything that gets you out of your mind and brings you back into your body. For me, it's cooking.
I've been making this salad on a repeat this summer because it's so good. It's arugula, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, pushcido, and a little bit of honey don mustard. I don't meditate every day, but I do cook daily.
And this has become my meditation. It's that mind body connection that I don't get from consuming so much media and it's always a reset for me. When the world is changing so fast, what are the constants in your life that ground you?
For me, it's my friends and family, my dogs, my routine. And that's why in a lot of ways, my life is exactly the same here in Portugal as it was in Hawaii. I enjoy my slow mornings with my husband, my yoga and journaling with my coffee, walking the dogs, and working at night.
Not being biased here, but a gentle reminder why minimalism and essentialism is now more important than ever. We have to keep practicing separating what's essential and not essential so that we can focus on taking care of the things that keep us going. My favorite quote from the essentialism book.
Remember that if you don't prioritize your life, someone else will. [Music] I think feeling upset about the things that are going on, it obviously exposes what we care about, what matters to us. And so crucial to know where all of that is coming from.
In my tiny little world, there are things that I get stuck on. some deep scars, but some small annoying ones, like a rude comment or things not going my way. But at a certain point, I need to check myself and ask, "Is this helping me move forward towards where I want to go?
" For someone who lives in their head a lot, this helps so much. I'm learning that staying soft doesn't mean staying on the surface, but learning to move on with grace despite the weight of it all. I know that there's so much going on in the world right now and we're all dealing with our individual situations, too.
Whatever you're going through, I hope you tap into that quiet strength within you and deal with it head on. Sending you a big hug and passing on the kindness from that old farmer. I'll talk to you very soon.
