5 May 26 - The Wisdom in the Holes

I took this photo,  just last Sunday morning at Ananda Bhavan, my favorite thosai place. This is more than just a meal to me; it is a sacred morning ritual that I used to share almost every day with my dearest father. Though he has since passed, the memory of those mornings remains a sanctuary for me, my brothers, and his grandchildren—my nephews and niece—who all grew up enjoying these wonderful breakfasts with him. What was once a daily rhythm is now a distant, yet fondly remembered past.

Looking at the thosai, I am struck by its texture. Because the batter is splashed onto a hot griddle, it naturally forms tiny holes. It doesn't try to be a solid, dense block; instead, it finds its strength and signature crunch through its "openings."

Beside it sits the Vadai—golden, grounded, and steady. It acts as a center of gravity, reminding me that even when we design "openings" into our lives, we can remain centered.

As a mindfulness experience designer, I see our practice much like this plate. While the fire of passion often drives us to be solid and unyielding, compassion invites us to design intentional "openings" through these three shifts:

1) From Passion to Compassion: Moving from the heavy "fire" of striving toward a steady, gentle light that allows us to simply be.

2) From Doing to Noticing: Shifting from the need to "fill" every second to the Art of Noticing the small, flavorful details of the present moment.

3) From Teaching to Guiding: Rather than being a solid "authority," a guide walks alongside, meeting every encounter with a Beginner’s Mind.

The attitude in focus here is Acceptance. It is the grace to honor the past without being lost in it, and the courage to accept the "holes" in our day as necessary spaces for the soul to breathe.

We don't need to be a solid block of productivity to be "good." Sometimes, it is the gaps and the stillness—like those shared mornings at Ananda Bhavan—that allow us to stay crisp and sustainable.

Journey inward, grow forward.

🌷 May your Tuesday be full of gentle openings.

#TulipMeadows #TheArtOfNoticing #MeadowMoments #MindfulnessSingapore #ExperienceDesign #CompassionOverPassion #Acceptance #InTheStillnessWeBloom