The relentless “Have to be” rules for you:

• More resilient.
• More self-aware.
• More confident.
• More decisive.
• More ‘good’.
• It’s a relentless cycle, isn’t it? You strive to achieve one state, only to find another expectation waiting. It’s an endless chase, an elusive better future, and it’s impossible to really ‘arrive’. And this constant striving creates a sense of never being enough, of always falling short.

We live in a world that thrives on achievement and constant improvement. From the moment we wake up, we’re bombarded with messages telling us how to optimise our lives, our careers, our very selves. Social media feeds are filled with curated images of success, further fueling feelings of inadequacy.

And then there is the constant busyness and distraction. The feeling that life is passing you by and you’re just a spectator in your own experience. The constant notifications, the never-ending to-do lists, the pressure to always be ‘on’ – it’s a recipe for overwhelm.

Perhaps, it’s about simply being?

Given all these external demands, silence or simply being seems like a luxury in 2025. We’ve become so used to doing that we’ve forgotten how to be. We’ve lost touch with the quiet space within. The space where we can find peace and clarity. But perhaps these moments of stillness are the only true antidotes to the relentless pressures we face.

Perhaps the key is to remember that life isn’t just about meeting external expectations, it’s about returning to your natural state of being. It’s about recognising that you are already whole, already enough. Also, it’s about finding refuge in the present moment, in the quiet space between thoughts. It’s about recognising the stillness that exists within the busyness.

Instead of constantly striving to become something more, what if we simply allowed ourselves to be? What if we embraced the present moment with all its imperfections? What if we realised that true fulfilment comes not from external achievement, but from inner peace?

Perhaps the most radical act is simply to be. To find stillness in the chaos, to reconnect with our true nature.

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