We all carry stories—some of which bring joy and smiles, while others stir up pain and anxiety.
Often without realising it, we allow these stories to take the driver’s seat on life’s journey.
It is usually the difficult stories that catch us—we replay them in our minds and dwell on them for a little too long; we begin to let them decide who we are and how we want to live. We start believing we are the story.
Mindfulness offers another way.
We don’t have to fix or fight. Instead, we can meet those narratives with presence, compassion, and non-attachment.
Presence helps us see clearly what is really happening.
Compassion softens our relationship with our past through kindness and curiosity.
Non-attachment frees us from any clinging or resisting. We learn to stop struggling.
This doesn’t mean ignoring or erasing what has happened.
It means honouring the story without being entangled in it. Giving ourselves permission to feel, but not allowing the pain to perpetuate.
We remind ourselves: I am not the story. I am the awareness that sees the story.
We open ourselves to learning: What has this story taught me?
We recognise: My life is not reduced to this single story. Every experience—bright or difficult—can be a teacher.
And eventually, we take away this life-changing insight: This story shaped me, but it does not define me.
In this Take A Pause session recorded on 18 May 2025, the TAP community reflected on a story we have been carrying, holding them with compassion and acknowledging the roles they’ve played.
We closed the practice by enjoying a poem, We All Have A Story, by Michelle Harverson.
Meditation Begins: 07:36
Reading Begins: 27:17
Meditation Duration: 20 minutes
PRACTICE with ERIN:
Take A Pause with Erin on Insight Timer
Sundays, 9 pm Singapore Time
Final Call for 5-Day Mindfulness Retreat in Bali:
21 - 25 September 2025
Being Sattvaa, Ubud, Bali
Erin’s Mindfulness Sessions at Well-Being Festival, Impact Week 2025:
“Finding Freedom in Stillness” — 17 September 2025, 12 pm - 1 pm
“Take A Pause: Mindfulness for Cognitive Resilience” — 18 September 2025, 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Free Entry (By Invite Only)
The Big Sit x Guoco Tower on Mindfulness Day
Friday 12 September 2025, 6 pm - 7 pm Singapore Time
Bring your family / friends!
