Dear Reader,

By the time you read this, I’ll be sitting in silence.

Today will be day six out of ten. Ten hours of meditation a day. No phone, no notebook, no book, no calendar. Just me, my breath, and whatever Goenka has to say about observing sensations without reacting to them.

It’s my sixth Vipassana (listen to my insights after the last), which means I should know by now that the first two days feel excruciating. My mind throws a tantrum like a toddler whose iPad has been taken away. Everything suddenly feels urgent. Every thought insists it must be solved right now.

But that urgency is always the same thing in disguise: backlog.

Unprocessed thoughts that piled up because I was too busy consuming more content, searching for more insights, asking ChatGPT more questions, filling every quiet moment with someone else’s voice instead of my own.

Around day three, the system starts to reboot. Once the noise settles, the mind remembers what to do when it isn’t constantly interrupted. Ideas begin to bubble up from a deeper place. Connections appear that were there all along but buried under input. And because there’s no way to write anything down or look anything up, something surprising happens: the body stops gripping so tightly. It trusts that what matters will stay.

It always does.

Somewhere in that simplicity lies one of the most fundamental truths of facilitation: our cups are already full. We rarely need more information. What we need is space. Space for the sediment to settle. Space to hear the thought beneath the thought. Space to realise that clarity often arrives once we stop trying to chase it.

So while I’m sitting in silence, maybe you can steal a small moment of your own. A minute. An exhale. A pause long enough for a buried thought to surface.

I’ll tell you what I found when I’m back.

🎙 Meanwhile, on the podcast…

From a childhood imaginary classroom, to the moments before a traffic light turns green, Shireen Naqvi has been viewing the world as a beautiful facilitation opportunity her whole life.

Guided by the divine belief that humans are the best creatures in the universe, Shireen has made it her mission to help others realise the power that lies within them. She joins me this week to share stories from her life in Pakistan, her strategies for enabling self-empowerment in others, and why anger is the perfect ammunition for change.

A wise and inspiring conversation rich with Shireen’s passion, as we explore professionalism, injustice, the female experience, cultural nuances, and everything in between!

Find out about:

• Why we should pay attention to our angers in order to understand our personal values
• Women’s rights in Pakistan, and Shireen’s experience as a female trainer and entrepreneur
• How Shireen uses play and authenticity to break the barrier of professionalism in the boardroom
• How the concept of professionalism differs across cultures and countries

🎧 Click here to listen to the interview

📥 Check out my 1-page summary

​WW_Episode_351-summary.pdf​

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👀 Watch the unedited interview on Youtube​

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🎧 Join the next podcast club gathering

While counting down the final episodes of workshops work until it's retirement on December 31st, I am inviting you to join me on Substack where I am creating a Podcast Club: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/​

In January, we will gather around the theme of Polarisation in Facilitation.

​Click here to sign up for free.

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That’s it from my side! I hope you enjoy the content and find inspiration in the stories and podcast. Wishing you a week filled with reflection, connection, and growth—see you next week!

Myriam

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