We were sitting at a sunlit café on Nusa Lembongan, the ocean stretching wide in front of us, soft waves humming in the background. My sister, who’s visiting me here in Bali, turned to me and asked, “What is the meaning of life for you?”
And to be honest… I felt a sudden wave of irritation rise in me.
We’d spent the past few days talking about some things I’ve been going through — emotionally, personally. I have a 15-month-old toddler, and life is full. Beautiful, yes, but also messy and loud and overwhelming in the way only early motherhood can be. So I answered truthfully: “I’ve asked myself that question many times, and right now, I don’t have an answer.”
She paused, then gently tried again: “Okay, what about your goals?”
Again — something inside me clenched. The truth is, I don’t have the mental or emotional space at the moment to ask myself big, philosophical questions. My days are filled with working online, spending time with my child, trying to work out (trying!), navigating waves of emotion, and doing my best to stay grounded while also finding clarity in my life. I’m grateful to be a mother. Deeply. But I’m also just trying to make it through each day without collapsing under the weight of navigating my new reality.
And I wonder — do we need to always have a five-year plan or an answer to the meaning of life?
Can’t we just… be, for a while?
Can’t we allow ourselves seasons of life where the only thing that matters is making it to bedtime, taking deep breaths, and soaking up the little moments of presence when they come?
Before becoming a mom, I was always someone who lived in the deeper layers. I asked big questions. I reflected a lot. I was philosophical by nature. But lately, that part of me has quieted. Not disappeared — just gone quiet. And oddly enough, I’m not unhappy about it. It’s simply a different season. A more chaotic one, perhaps, but one that requires me to move slower, stay grounded, and stop chasing clarity I don't have space for right now.
When my sister asked me those questions, it made me realize how hard it is sometimes to feel understood — especially when you're in a transition phase. Her questions weren’t wrong or unkind. But they reminded me that even the people who love us the most don’t always see what we’re carrying.
So if you’re in a season like mine — whether you’re a new mom or simply in a chapter that feels too loud for clarity — this is your reminder: You don’t need to have all the answers.You don’t need to set big goals right now.It’s okay to live day by day.It’s okay to just be.
There will be a time again for questions. For deep conversations and future visions. But for now, this moment — messy, full, and fleeting — is enough.
If you're looking for a gentle way to reconnect with yourself during this season, I created something just for this: The Slow Living Guided Journal offers quiet prompts to help you root into the present moment — not to push you forward, but to simply hold space for where you are right now.
Because sometimes, being is more than enough.