🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter

⌚ The Waiting Game

Many of us spend our lives waiting for the right moment, the right conditions, or the certainty that we are making the “right” choice. Yet beneath that waiting is often a quieter truth, a longing we already know.

"You will freeze in place if you remain this way. You must not, dear. You have to move" — Rilke

Dear Reader
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Our minds powerfully create a reality that we then inhabit. This reality places ourselves at the centre, with our beliefs, goals and relationships with life, others, and ourselves forming the scaffolding that gives us a sense of security, meaning and place in the world.

We reflect on the past and project into the future. It is an incredible magic show though, because all of it, our sense of self, our beliefs, our goals, our relationships, even the future itself, are fabrications. They are mental constructs and projections. The past does not really exist, nor does the future. Try to find a sense of self in a laboratory, or examine your beliefs under a microscope. They exist only in the thinking mind. And yet, these constructs shape and organise the reality we experience.

The Stories That Shape Our Lives

As we move through life, these mental formations, values, beliefs and the stories we tell ourselves serve an important purpose. They help life feel meaningful, provide direction, and support decision-making and life choices.

Over time, with reflection, they can also foster insight and wisdom. We begin to learn which ways of being and which narratives support us, and which do not. We discover what we are willing to tolerate and what we are not, and we clarify our values. We become less likely to repeat past mistakes and more capable of making wise decisions.

What Mindfulness Reveals

When we view life through the lens of mindfulness, we enter a more nuanced territory. With this comes powerful ways of navigating our lives with greater clarity, wisdom and fulfilment.

What mindfulness also reveals is that the reality the mind constructs is not a neutral one. It is shaped, above all else, by the desire for safety. The stories, beliefs, goals and identities we form are not only about meaning or direction, they are also strategies for avoiding pain, uncertainty and risk. Over time, what once supported us can quietly harden into a version of life that feels secure, but increasingly small.

When Protection Turns Into Avoidance

We can see that in our desire to avoid past “mistakes” or times when we have been hurt, we may now avoid certain situations or risks. This might include entering another relationship, changing careers, having a difficult conversation, returning to study, exploring a spiritual practice, engaging in counselling or therapy, starting a fitness routine, setting up a business, or ending a toxic relationship.

Our brain, and the reality it has constructed, wants to protect us and keep us safe. It will generate a seemingly endless list of reasons not to act when the perceived risk feels too high. The message we receive, however, is rarely “I’m scared” or “This feels risky,” as that may be too confronting. Instead, it often sounds like this:

• I need to wait for the right time
• I need to wait for the right circumstances
• I need to be sure this is the right thing for me
• I need more information before I commit
• I need to wait until the kids leave home
• I need to wait until work settles down
• I need to wait until I have more time

And so on.

There is no shame in this. We all do it. But left unexamined, it comes at a cost. These defences and delays can result in a life half-lived.

The Life We Long For

All of us have parts that dream, long, and feel drawn towards experiences we have not yet explored. We get one life to act on these impulses, or not act on them.

Most people die waiting.

Most people live with their dreams remaining just that—dreams.

The Courage to Say Yes

Mindfulness offers us a precious gift. It allows us to look deeply, to summon the courage required to live a life on purpose, and to do so with grace.

Again and again, we see how the mind constructs our reality. We see how useful this is, and we also see how it can imprison us or mislead us at times.

In this seeing, discernment arises. There may be a deeply wise clarity, or even a spontaneous and wholehearted “yes.” A yes that recognises that the waiting and delaying were forms of avoidance. A yes that sees clearly that there is nothing, truly nothing, stopping us from changing course, taking action, making the decision or stepping into new territory. Fear may still be present, but it is understood. It is balanced by maturity, by a clear sense of what truly matters, and by the courage to act in alignment with our deepest values.

Living On Purpose

Mindfulness is your friend. It will tell you the truth, if you let it. And it will support you as you step into new, creative and alive territory. It will remind you of what matters most, and it will provide the energy and momentum to live those values more fully.

So my encouragement is this: Do not stay waiting.

Listen deeply to your own heart, your truth.

Gently acknowledge any resistance, the excuses, and especially the familiar “I need to wait.”

And then, wisely, sincerely and wholeheartedly, take the action you already know you need to take.

It’s your life.

Your deserve to really live it.

​🎭 The Nervous System Unmasked: How Stress & Trauma Hijack Your Body (and how to switch back to healing mode)​

You've been doing everything right.

Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, maybe therapy. You're committed to feeling better.

Yet the anxiety still creeps in, the exhaustion won't lift, the pain persists and your body still feels like it's working against you, not with you.

Maybe you find yourself overthinking every little decision ... what to cook, what to wear, what to say ... because somehow every decision feels like your life depends on it.

Or your alarm goes off and it feels like you've only just fallen asleep, you need coffee just to get moving, and then you get into bed exhausted but your brain won't switch off.

Here's what most people don't realise: Your nervous system can TRAP YOU in this state.

If this sounds like you, I invite you to join me for this eye-opening journey.

This three-part program is designed to help you finally understand what's been keeping you trapped in anxiety, exhaustion or pain, and give you a taste of what's possible when you work WITH your nervous system and transform your health from the inside out.

Here's what you'll discover:

Part 1: The hidden secret to why your anxiety, exhaustion, pain and health challenges aren't getting better and why your nervous system is actually trying to protect you.

Part 2: How cortisol (your stress hormone) is affecting your sleep, energy, gut health and immune system and how to reset it with a simple 14-day Cortisol Rhythm Reset.

Part 3: How to create calm anytime, anywhere, with simple somatic exercises and vagal toning practices.

By the end of these three sessions, you'll finally:

• understand WHY you feel the way you do, ​
• experience what it feels like when your nervous system actually shifts, and
• have practical tools to start feeling calmer and more in control.

3-Part Program Details: Book Now.

Date: A second course has been added for those who couldn't make the original time.

Tuesdays: Starts 3 Feb | 3.30pm Perth | 6.30pm Sydney | 8.30pm Auckland.

Thursdays: Starts 5 Feb | 1.00pm Perth | 4.00pm Sydney | 6.00pm Auckland.

Facilitator: Nat Mallia

Venue: Live on Zoom. Replay available and yours to keep in the Calm Mind Academy Library

Investment: Normally $147, available now for $97 with code BREATHE97

Book now! If you're ready to transform your health from the inside out, book here now.

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If you have any questions, email Nat at nat@wellnessnat.com​

​Begin 2026 With a Mindfulness Professional Supporting You​

One on one work with a certified mindfulness teacher can make a lasting impact on your quality of life.
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It provides a supportive, evidence-based yet intuitive modality that is highly effective for reducing anxiety, improving relationships, increasing self-worth or exploring the deeper aspects of emotional and psychological healing.

​Find a certified mindfulness teacher to work with now.

🧘‍♀️ Mini Mindfulness Exercise: Noticing The Habit of Waiting

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Step 1: Arrive

Sit comfortably and take a few slow, steady breaths. Let your body settle. There is nothing you need to fix or change.

Step 2: Name What You Are Waiting For

Gently bring to mind something in your life you have been “waiting” to do. Not analysing it, just naming it. Notice how it feels to acknowledge this honestly.

Step 3: Listen for the Reasons

Quietly ask yourself, “What am I waiting for?”​
Notice the responses that arise. Timing. Certainty. Permission. Safety. Let them appear without judgement.

Step 4: Feel Beneath the Words

Now shift attention from the story to the body. Where do you feel the pull to wait? Where do you feel the pull to move? Simply notice sensations, without pushing either away.

Step 5: Touch Your Values

Ask gently, “If fear were not the deciding factor, what would matter most here?”​
Notice what values or longings surface. Let them register, without pressure to act.

Step 6: Close with Kindness

End by acknowledging yourself for your honesty. You are not required to decide anything now. This practice is about clarity, not force.

Why This Helps

This practice helps because it gently shifts us from thinking about our life to actually listening to it.
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Rather than arguing with fear or trying to force a decision, we learn to notice the habit of waiting as it is experienced in the body and mind. In doing so, what was unconscious becomes visible, and when something is clearly seen, it already begins to loosen its hold.

By touching into our values without pressure to act, we restore a sense of inner authority. From this place, action or non-action, becomes a choice rather than a reflex driven by fear or avoidance.

🧘‍♀️ Intro to Mindfulness and Meditation Courses

Learn mindfulness and meditation with a certified mindfulness teacher at a public course. Over 40,000 people have attended the Mindfulness Works Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation Course.
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Reduce anxiety, improve sleep and increase self-acceptance with mindfulness.

Williamstown, starts 3 February 2026. See details and book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-mindfulness-and-meditation-tickets-1976803649931?aff=oddtdtcreator​

Geelong, starts 4 March 2026. See details and book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-mindfulness-and-meditation-tickets-1976806112296?aff=oddtdtcreator​

🏡 Coming Home to Yourself — 7-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Healesville, VIC:
11–17 February, 2026 — Only 6 Places Left​

Step into a world of calm, depth and self-love. Experience an environment of safety, silence, beauty and natural ease.

This retreat provides an exceptional chance for self-love, self-forgiveness and self-acceptance.

​Book your place now.​

Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville, Vic
​Dates: Wednesday, 11 February – Tuesday, 17 February, 2026.
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💗 Awakening to Self-Love — 6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Bowral, NSW:
7–12 March, 2026​

Allow the beautiful and serene natural environment and meditation support your wellbeing as you are invited into a simple schedule that includes regular silent sitting and walking mindfulness meditations, instruction periods and check-ins with the teachers.
​
​Book your place now with a $500 deposit.​
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Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Hartzer Park Retreat Centre, Bowral, NSW
​Dates: Saturday, 7 March – Thursday, 12 March 2026
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💗 The Essence of Self-Love, Premium 6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Byron Bay, NSW​ — May and June 2026​

The Essence of Self-Love Retreats at Sangsurya, Byron Bay are the premium retreat offerings of 2026.
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These retreats feature incredible artisan accommodation, a stunning retreat centre setting and an on-site chef, Todd Stream-Cameron providing world-class meals.
​
​Book your place now with a $500 deposit.​
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Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Sangsurya Retreat Centre, Byron Bay, NSW
​Dates:
​May Retreat: Friday, 8 May – Wednesday, 13 May 2026 — LIMITED PLACES LEFT​
​June Retreat: Friday, 19 June – Wednesday, 24 June 2026 - LIMITED PLACES LEFT​
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💗 The Ease of Being, Luxury Weekend Retreat, Noosa, 29–31 May​ 2026 ​

When was the last time you truly stopped, breathed, and let yourself simply be?

This premium three-day meditation retreat offers a rare opportunity to step away from the noise and into a world of effortless relaxation, deep presence and quiet luxury.

“The Ease of Being retreat gave me the gift of a weekend filled with peace and calm – time out in a beautiful, natural setting away from the demands of everyday life.” — Christine Donnelly​
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​Book your place now with a $250 deposit.​

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Teacher: Karl Baker
​Location: Senses Beach Rd Holiday Homes, Noosa North Shore
​Date: Friday, 29 May – Sunday, 31 May
​Price: From $895 all inclusive
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🏢 Workplace Mindfulness Training

Nationwide in-person or online mindfulness training for workplaces.
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– Build team mental and emotional resilience.
– Improve mental fitness.
– Reduce burnout with practical strategies.
– Enhance team communication and connection.

​Get a customised program and free quote.
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🤔 Mindful Check-In. Vote to See Results

Why this reflection matters

Noticing where we wait brings unconscious patterns into awareness. Once something is seen clearly, it loosens its grip. This kind of gentle self-honesty is often the first real step toward meaningful change.

📝 Mindful Meme of The Week

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