Stepping Away to Look Within: Reflections From My Retreat Experience

Sometimes, we need to step away from the noise of everyday life to make it easier to look within ourselves.

Being alone, without the distractions of routine, encourages us to observe ourselves, to listen to that deep inner voice that is always there. That voice that has all the answers—the answers that allow us to see life as it is, not as we wish it to be. These are answers that can only be found within, not in the world out there.

Following that inner voice, I decided to step away for a few days. After a tough year, I felt a deep need for connection—a time to just listen to the voice that was screaming inside of me but was so hard to hear.

Here are some of the deepest insights or reflections that came to me:

1. It doesn't matter how much we resist situations beyond our control; things will always happen the way they need to.

2. Resisting the natural flow of life, just as swimming against the current, can be exhausting and ultimately won't lead us anywhere.

3. Sometimes, we desperately seek answers—Why did this happen? But we can’t force those answers. Maybe this isn't the part of the process where those answers are meant to come.

4. There is ALWAYS clarity after a storm, which is why we should always remember that everything will pass; everything is temporary.

5. During a storm, we might find ways to make it more bearable, but we cannot stop it. We just have to let it pass naturally and allow the calm and clarity to come when they’re meant to.

6. Life is not LIFE without challenges. For there to be happy moments and growth, challenges are necessary.

7. Today's world exerts immense pressure on us to have a perfect life and to meet impossible expectations. Naturally, we often feel we can never meet these expectations, leading to frustration and a constant sense of failure. Embracing life's imperfections and being okay with adversity can be freeing.

8. Life simply IS. That includes the good and the bad moments, the happy and the challenging situations. This is the reality for EVERYONE, no matter the different life situations—no matter what social media or the world out there wants us to believe.