Dear Listeners,

If you’ve been thinking about making a pivot, this week seems to carry its own momentum -you can hitch a ride on. I say this because several patients have told me recently, ‘I can’t keep doing (X, Y, or Z) anymore. It’s not sustainable.” To add, in my opinion, they were making a healthy leap forward.

What they’re describing isn’t a single behavior, but a pattern disruption— one that’s become too costly to maintain. The expense might be mental, emotional, physical, or even spiritual. When the cost outweighs the benefit, something within insists on change.

Consider, for instance, the person who has come to see themselves as the healer in their family — the one who absorbs everyone’s pain, who listens, soothes or fixes. Here’s the hook: not everyone wants to be healed. Some seek relief without real change; others are attached to their suffering. And so, the helper ends up pouring energy into an empty vessel, mistaking self-sacrifice for love, for significance, to relieve guilt, or a myriad of other reasons. If this is you, its worthy of reflection.

When the cost outweighs the benefit, something within insists on change.

A true pivot begins with clarity. It means recognizing your role and your limits — that you may be a gifted listener or a natural caretaker, but that it’s okay to let go. Accept everyone has their own pace, their own path, and surrender to what is. Helping people who don’t want to change often says more about our need to help than their need for help- which is about the ego.

I’ve seen this dynamic unfold repeatedly lately — in families, workplaces, friendships. Maybe the shake up of the local and global patterns is affecting us on a personal level- It’s all interpersonal, all about how we conduct ourselves in the world. And it’s not about right or wrong; it’s about fairness — to others, and to yourself.

Even in family systems, where the ties feel immovable, you can set boundaries. You can decide how much time to spend, how deep to engage, when to step back. The holidays, for instance, tend to amplify these questions. Maybe this year, you visit briefly. Or stay nearby rather than under the same roof. Or, for the first time, simply stay home. It’s not avoidance; it’s discernment.

The larger point is this: the world is changing, and rapidly. The question becomes, how will you change with it? Perhaps by choosing differently — making decisions that are gentler, wiser, more supportive of your health and peace of mind.

If long travel strains your body, maybe this is the year you rest. If constant engagement exhausts you, perhaps you reclaim stillness instead- unplug, put your phone in the drawer, go for a walk in the park. Gaining clarity around such choices requires quiet — a breath practice, yoga, tai chi, swimming, or walking without distraction. These moments of stillness help us check in rather than check out.

If the world’s pace won’t slow, the best way to change this is to do it from within. In doing so, we have better odds for success in finding our next best step. Today’s meditation was inspired by a conversation with a colleague who practices mindfulness, when I led her though moments in a Slovenian cave which was a UNESCO world heritage site.

Thank you for reading. If this reflection resonates, this meditation moves you, consider subscribing, and share it with two people who need a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and have the courage to pivot.

You are not alone. SL

(note: I’m attempting to teach myself how ‘clean up’ audio recordings of meditations… my preference is to remove background hiss/hum, unfortunately I didnt have my regular the right filter as I recorded this. My Once I figure this out, I’ll move through my archive. Bear with me as I learn this process… thanks for your patience!)

Here is another fav video which kinda sums it up:

This is Ram Dass (likely after his stroke) on letting go: “Move your identification from your ego to your soul”

one long and yet amazing talk by Ram Dass (his early years)

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