A sample of Beauty in the Stillness
Beauty in the Stillness
Karin Hadadan
Thought Catalog Books — thoughtcatalog.com
Copyright © 2023 Karin Hadadan.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior written consent and permission from Thought Catalog.
Published by Thought Catalog Books, an imprint of Thought Catalog, a digital magazine owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Co. Inc., an independent media organization founded in 2010 and based in the United States of America. For stocking inquiries, contact stockists@shopcatalog.com.
Produced by Chris Lavergne and Noelle Beams
Art direction and design by KJ Parish
Creative editorial direction by Brianna Wiest
Circulation management by Isidoros Karamitopoulos
thoughtcatalog.com | shopcatalog.com
First Edition, Limited Edition Pressing
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN 978-1-949759-66-2
Table of Contents
- On presence — 7
- On heartbreak — 26
- On loneliness — 40
- On self-love — 55
- On healing — 80
- On love — 99
- On growth — 122
- On purpose — 136
- On manifestation — 148
- On life — 169
- Afterword — 198
- Acknowledgements — 202
for those who yearn to discover themselves—
may you shed layers that no longer align,
and walk away with more clarity.
On Presence
Stillness
I believe I truly understand life after midnight
When I hear the creaks that my heater makes
Or the footsteps in the hallway
The shifting positions of the sheets
Or the cars driving in the streets
But even the absence of bustle
Makes me understand
How when you listen closely
You can grasp everything you cannot see
Because many of us overlook the ability to listen and notice
There is much more than what our retina displays
There is beauty in the stillness
Then, Now, and What’s to Come
The life you are currently living is a result of your past. It’s a combination of every decision you’ve made, every place you’ve been, every thought you’ve simmered in, every feeling you’ve digested, and every person you’ve connected with. But the beauty in our human existence is that at any point in time, we have the ability to change what our moments consist of. If you are dissatisfied with where you are or feel resentment towards your story, you do have the power to shift your circumstances. But it is only up to you—because the future you aspire to experience is a result of your now. It is rooted in the decisions you make today, the places you explore, the thoughts you dissect, the feelings you absorb, and the people you encounter, all in this present moment. The secret to pivoting where you are headed is simple—be where your feet are and match the energetic vibration of the life you seek.
Be Here Fully
The mere fact about presence is that our lives happen in the now. So when people come in, when experiences are made, when dreams are brought to fruition, when healing takes place…you want to be there fully. You must enjoy it, live it, and love it to its maximum capacity. Even if it is painful, daunting, lonely, or confusing, the present moment is all you ever have, and you must appreciate the totality of it. But if your mind is elsewhere—if you are dwelling on the past or living in the future—your life will move forward, and you won’t even notice the changes that are occurring. In its entirety, those changes are what make life as beautiful as it can be.
Eyes Open
In order for there to be miracles
You must be present enough
to witness the miracles that are already happening
Realignment
The biggest changes we see in our lives are rooted in the smallest habits. They’re how we spend the first hour of our mornings. They’re how we nourish our bodies through food. They’re how we speak to ourselves when no one is around. They’re in the films we watch, the music we listen to, the content we consume. They’re the people we give ourselves access to. The way we move our bodies. Where and how we spend our money. When we shift the little intricacies of our lives—when we reconsider how we leverage our personal doings with the outer world—we will notice grand shifts that will realign us on our paths to greatness.
Conversations With Myself
“What is it that you want?” my mind asks.
“A lot of things,” my heart whispers.
“But what is it that you really want, really need?”
my mind questions.
“To be happy… fulfilled… powerful!” my heart exclaims.
“How will you be any of those things?” my mind asks,
noticing that my heart is unsure.
“I don’t know,” my heart replies.
“But what I do know is that I will never stop until I get there.”
“Have control over me,” my mind states.
“And you will see that what you want and need is
within you already.”
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