#40 Yuanfen and the Waves of Life

Meet moments of Silence in 2024

2024 - Barcelona, Schaffhausen, Lausanne, Taiwan, Zurich

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Time for a Pause

In my story #38 I challenged myself to sprinkle little and big doses of me-time throughout the year. Now, how did it go?

About those Waves in Life

This year was filled with major transformative moments. Interestingly, the moments meant to be with myself and with others often happened after the big, obvious ones.

These small moments of pause helped me digest the larger events—those quiet, reflective breaks that allow us to truly process what just happened.

A Year in Reflection

In January,
I started the year in Barcelona at a beautiful pregnancy retreat. Blanketed in love and community, I processed my insights during quiet morning yoga sessions overlooking the valley. Yet, I wrote the draft of the last Yuanfen story not during the retreat, but sitting in a coffee shop at the airport.

In March,
I opened the Culture Jam, a two-day conference hosting 100 transformation and innovation leaders, with a 45-minute keynote intervention called Mediate to Collaborate and Innovate. During the session, I went on my autopilot - full focus on the participants and the energy unfolding. The experience only truly sank in later that afternoon, as I rested with my swollen legs propped on a gymnastic ball.

In April,
During our Leadership summit, I carefully built mini me-time breaks into my moderation schedule. This meant taking time to review my notes and squeezing in two 18-minute power naps before returning to the stage.

In May,
I gave birth a month earlier than expected. In the weeks that followed, I gave myself time to rest and stay home, recovering from the first and biggest operation of my life while learning to navigate sleepless nights and interpret my son’s cues.

In September,
We spent a week with my family in Taiwan so everyone could meet the little one. After days filled with incredible food and dozens of people holding him, we took a week to simply chill.

In October,
Even though I was in the midst of an Ayurveda cleansing ritual week, my husband and I opened a proper bottle of red wine that Monday night after I learned about the termination of my contract. That pause gave us both the space to let the news sink in.

In December,
After more than 50 beautiful conversation with potential partners and clients, I now look forward to two weeks of cozy family time. Resting at home, filling bellies with yummy food. And to use the quiet days after the Christmas marathon to pause and recharge.

Design for Silence

The real magic of transformation happens in those transition phases—the silent moments that follow a major event or announcement.

When a big wave breaks, there is always a silent aftermath. A pause when the sea rests, collecting energy for another wave to rise.

How do we navigate this new reality? Do we return to old behaviors, or do we allow new ones to emerge?

Go for a walk after a disruption. Sit down with family and close friends to reflect. Write your thoughts and feelings down.

Looking back, I am surprised by how essential it felt to pause after transformative waves unfolded.

In hindsight, these moments of stillness were truly the ones meant to be.

How do you design your next pause?

Early morning pause in Spain