Then, during a short trip to Batam, I had a chat with Bibil. She’s one of the facilitators at Rumah Remedi and has just relocated from Jakarta.
In the middle of a completely unrelated conversation, she showed me a page from The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim. It said:
“Instead of diving into the muddy water of your emotions… You should observe it… and let it settle down.”
That one line gently knocked on the door of my overthinking soul. It wasn’t even the topic we were discussing, but suddenly it all clicked. I realized I’ve been running on overdrive. Meetings here and there, absorbing information like a human sponge, jotting down notes, overthinking everything on repeat. No wonder my cup is overflowing with thoughts, emotions, and a good dose of mental clutter.
That night, back at my hotel, I took a hot and cold shower. Before bed, I did some breathing exercises and finally admitted to myself that I was overwhelmed and that it’s okay to let go. Finally… Alhamdulillah… I slept like a baby on a cloud. Even better, I woke up for Tahajud — something I had been missing the past few nights.
This whole idea of ‘observing your muddy water’ is a process. Sometimes, I don’t even realize it until I catch myself wondering, ‘Why do I feel like this?’
So I’m learning. Slowly. With softness. And hopefully a little more awareness each day.
How about you? What’s your way of observing your muddy water?
A long walk? Karaoke? A deep cry? Screaming into a pillow with dramatic flair? (No judgment… we’ve all been there.)
Share it with me, I’d love to know.
