Turns out there is no hack

Lately, I noticed a small yet powerful pattern. I’d often find myself scrolling through Reels on social media, watching people do “inspirational” things.

It could be watching someone bringing two political parties together in a moment of unity, someone in their 80s doing a workout that would put most 20-year-olds to shame, someone else sharing mindset hacks for inner peace or spiritual growth, and even spiritual Reels of monks or teachers sharing profound truths in a few seconds.

It felt positive. It looked wholesome. After all, it wasn’t mindless gossip or negativity. But over time, I realized something subtle — even inspiration can become a distraction.

It reveals the subtle addiction to inspiration.

Inspiration, as beautiful as it is, is a double-edged sword. It can point us to the door of change, but it can’t walk us through it. That choice, that spark of movement, has to come from within.

So this holiday season, I’m making a quiet commitment to myself: no more going into the “Reels” section of social media. Not because I think social media is bad, but because I want to reclaim the part of my attention that was getting diluted in short bursts of external motivation.

I will still follow and listen to the teachers, creators, and voices I already follow, but this time it will be because I choose to hear them, not because the algorithm decides what I should hear. That shift in awareness changes everything.

The brutal truth is, I’ve made this commitment before, and I fell off. But falling off is part of this beautiful human experience. The practice is never about perfection. It’s about remembering, again and again, where we want our energy to flow.

I’m choosing to lean into calm instead of arousal this season. I don’t need to know every expert’s thoughts on every current event, the latest longevity study, or the new productivity hack. The truth is, there is no hack. There’s only the daily practice of awareness, of noticing, choosing, and aligning.

As I write this, I’m reminded of something yoga has taught me over and over again: wisdom or change doesn’t come from consuming more, but from being still enough to hear what’s already true within.

This season, may we each return to that inner stillness.
Not to be inspired, but to be present.

 🙏