Do share my TedX talk with anyone who may enjoy it to spread awareness.
Dear Lovely Reader
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on all the small choices and subtle shifts that have helped me move forward this year. I found myself reviewing the paths I’ve taken, the conscious decisions that, in hindsight, have steered me in a direction I’m genuinely proud of. Some were bold, others quiet, but all have helped elevate me in meaningful ways.
It struck me that even the tiniest decisions, the ones that might seem like just a drop in the ocean, actually do create ripples. I was reminded of this on a recent day when I felt completely unproductive, disconnected, and adrift. You know those days, the ones that blur at the edges. But instead of spiraling, I paused and gently reminded myself: This is a cocoon phase. I’m not lost, I’m transforming. And there was comfort in that.
This year has brought with it some major shifts, changes that I believe are aligning me with something bigger. It’s easy to wait for life to unfold in neat, linear steps. But truthfully? Life rarely moves like that. It spirals. It meanders. It surprises us. And sometimes, what doesn’t look like progress actually is progress.
At this halfway point in the year, I’ve been looking back and noticing the things I have done, not just the tattoo I finally got (though that counts!), but the ways I’ve cared for myself. The ways I’ve shown up, made time for beauty, stepped outside more, laughed more, and consciously tended to my relationships. These might seem small, but they’re everything.
Sometimes we’re so immersed in doing, fixing, striving, and comparing that we forget to simply be here, to notice how far we’ve come. I’ve made small, quiet changes this year that have helped me feel more alive and rooted. And I’ve been nurturing the relationships that nourish me, too. That matters. That’s real growth.
In conversation with a friend recently, someone re-emerging from a difficult season, we talked about how essential the “down cycles” are. The pauses, the endings, the letting-go seasons. They’re uncomfortable, but they are necessary initiations. They make space for the next version of us to emerge.
What I keep returning to is this: everything is guiding us home to ourselves. The more we trust our inner compass, especially in a world that thrives on noise and distraction, the more aligned we become. And that has been the greatest gift of this season for me: turning down the noise, tuning into my own rhythm, and remembering that my North Star has never stopped shining.
The truth is, life won’t always hand us a clear map. The pieces of the puzzle may not fit the way we imagined. But that doesn’t mean the picture isn’t forming. We’re not building something perfect, we’re cultivating something true. It’s more like scattering seeds in a wildflower meadow. You don’t know what will bloom or when, but eventually, the beauty reveals itself.
So if you’re in a phase where things feel foggy, directionless, or uncertain, pause. Come back to yourself. Listen for that quiet inner voice. Trust your own timing. No one else can do this for you. And remember, it’s not about striving to be perfect, it’s about honouring the whole of who you are, messy parts and all.
When we anchor deeply into ourselves, when we polish our own compass and move from that place, we find the clarity, strength, and grace we’ve been seeking all along.
I’d love to hear from you do share with me here or on Instagram @thehannahwallace.
July’s solo episode on the podcast, I hope you enjoy me sharing my musings.
A old blog post all about mercury retrograde and how to optimise this period I have a few different posts on my website.
This week’s card is from Rebecca Campbells “The Healing Water Oracle”.
This week’s card couldn’t be more aligned with the collective energy. We’re deep in the waters of Mercury retrograde, a time that invites us to slow down, pause, and gently reconnect. Think of it as stepping into a healing lagoon: warm, still, and full of restoration. This is a time of quiet recovery, of small but meaningful reset.
Mercury retrograde often gets a bad reputation, but what if we viewed it instead as a sacred invitation? A reminder that healing isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. The card this week tells us: It’s safe to stop. And that’s a powerful message, especially in a world that constantly nudges us to go, produce, achieve.
Stopping doesn’t have to mean a week off or a complete break from life. It might look like a 20-minute walk without your phone, a quiet cup of tea, or simply sitting with your feelings for a moment instead of rushing past them. The point is to be intentional about your recovery, not to avoid, but to be present with what’s here and allow space for renewal.
So I ask you:
What is your relationship with recovery?
How do you experience rejuvenation?
Do you allow yourself the time to heal when you’re run-down, overwhelmed, or simply stretched too thin?
For many of us, the answer is no, not because we don’t want to, but because we’ve internalised the idea that rest must be earned. That healing is indulgent. That pausing is unsafe. But this simply isn’t true. And if we ignore the signals our body and spirit are sending us, we risk burnout that takes much longer to come back from.
Rejuvenation doesn’t require an elaborate ritual or a retreat, it’s the quiet, conscious act of tending to yourself. It’s saying yes to yourself in small, regular ways. And during this retrograde, we’re being asked to tune in and recalibrate.
Everyone’s recovery will look different, depending on what your life holds right now, work, caregiving, illness, parenting, or simply navigating your own journey. But it’s not about how much time you have. It’s about how intentionalyou can be with the time you do have.
This is your permission slip to stop, even briefly. To exhale. To soften.
To trust that you don’t need to push through. That honouring your own rhythm is not only allowed, it’s essential.
Let this week be your invitation into the healing lagoon.
Even just a few minutes, carved out with care, can shift everything.
You’re allowed to stop. You’re allowed to rest.
And you are safe to heal.
I hope you all have a good week ahead, do share this with anyone who may enjoy reading it, it’s greatly appreciated.
All my love
Hannah X