11/14/2025
10 Lessons and Insights from "The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down":
1. Your Mind is Like a Clear Blue Sky: Anxious thoughts and emotions are just passing clouds. They are not the permanent essence of who you are. You can observe them without being consumed by them.
2. Rest is Not Laziness; It is Productivity for the Soul: In a culture that glorifies busyness, true rest is a radical and necessary act of self-care that replenishes your inner resources.
3. True Connection Requires Presence: When you are with someone, be fully with them. Putting down your phone and listening with your whole being is the greatest gift you can offer.
4. Let Go of the Need to Control Others: Much of our suffering comes from trying to change people to fit our expectations. Focus on understanding and accepting them, and you will find peace.
5. Embrace Your Imperfections: You are a complete person, not despite your flaws, but with them. Self-compassion is the foundation of inner peace.
6. The Present Moment is Your True Home: Anxiety lives in the future, and regret lives in the past. Peace is found by anchoring your awareness in the "now."
7. Don't Confuse Your Career with Your Life: Your job is a part of your life, not your entire identity. Nurture the other parts of yourself—your relationships, your hobbies, your inner world.
8. Set Boundaries with Grace: It is okay, and necessary, to say no. Protecting your time and energy is not selfish; it is essential for your well-being and your ability to be there for others.
9. Be Kind to Your Past Self: Forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made. Your past self was doing the best they could with the knowledge and resources they had at the time.
10. The Most Important Relationship is the One You Have with Yourself: When you are comfortable and compassionate with yourself, that inner peace radiates outward, improving every other relationship in your life.
The world moves fast, but that doesn’t mean we have to. This bestselling mindfulness guide by Haemin Sunim (which means “spontaneous wisdom”), a renowned Buddhist meditation teacher born in Korea and educated in the United States, illuminates a path to inner peace and balance amid the overw...