Presence Through Kindness

Hello friend – it’s Miriam 👋🏻

Welcome to this week’s Ikigami Insider

As we step into 2025, your time is precious—thank you for sharing a moment with me here. This year, the Ikigami Insider is taking on a fresh spin. We’re keeping it simple, impactful, and intentional. Each edition will feature exactly 3 Ikigai Hacks across 3 Categories—Intuition, Intelligence, Integrity—accompanied by 3 recommended readings and a sprinkle of poetry to touch your heart.

This newsletter is written with full presence and a deep desire to inspire calm, clarity, and kindness in your journey. Let’s begin.

Intuition: The Stillness Within

In the midst of chaos, kindness is a compass. Small acts—like offering a warm smile, listening deeply, or pausing before reacting—can anchor you in the present. Each moment of kindness carves out stillness in the storm.

Hack 1: Start your day with this question: “How can I show kindness today?” Write down one simple action and commit to it.

Intelligence: The Science of Calm

Did you know kindness can rewire your brain? Neuroscience shows that acts of compassion increase oxytocin and lower cortisol, helping you feel more balanced even in stressful situations. Kindness isn’t just emotional; it’s biological—and it transforms your reality.

Hack 2: In moments of stress, take a deep breath and silently ask, “What’s the kindest way to respond?” Watch how it shifts your perspective.

Integrity: Living the Kind Path

True kindness isn’t situational—it’s consistent. Leading with empathy, even when others falter, builds trust and sets an example. Imagine every interaction being rooted in kindness; you’re not just responding to the moment—you’re shaping the world around you.

Hack 3: Before ending your day, reflect on a moment you could have been kinder. What will you do differently next time?

Reflection in Verse

Whispers of Kindness
Chaos bows to whispers kind,
A calm heart leads, the path defined.
In presence pure, storms fade away,
Kindness lights the steady way.

Thumbnail Photo of gaspar zaldo on Unsplash

3 Recommended Readings

1. The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

2. The Science of Compassion by Paul Gilbert

3. Presence by Amy Cuddy

As the year begins, let’s embrace the power of small, intentional steps and purposeful reflection. May 2025 unfold with clarity, kindness, and renewed energy as we walk our path together, anchored in presence and guided by purpose.

Warm wishes,
Miriam