Choosing to Be More by Doing Less
Choosing to Be More by Doing Less
Swimming Against the Current
Dear friends,
In a world that constantly screams “more, more, more,” I find my heart whispering “less, less, less.” It feels like swimming against a powerful current.
As I type this, I’m sitting with an ice pack on my back, waiting to hear back from my acupuncturist.
The stress of the past few weeks has taken a very real toll, both mentally and physically: my daughter and our pup both went through bouts of sickness, prompting urgent care visits. Sleepless nights blurred with worry-filled days as I juggled vet appointments and rescheduled work meetings.
Meanwhile, the book project that once felt like a distant dream has suddenly become very real — and very demanding. The weight of those perfectly framed photos and the pressure to write nothing less than monumentally inspirational words is constantly pressing down on me.
And while I feel wrung out and overwhelmed, everywhere I look, I see fellow creatives doing more, achieving more, earning more.
Social media feeds are flooded with announcements of new books, podcasts, courses, collaborations. The hustle culture is alive and well and I keep feeling the urge to maximize every minute, optimize every output.
And yet...my body begs to differ.
There’s nothing quite like the pain of a strained back muscle in the wee hours of the morning while trying to pull up the blanket.
The body doesn’t lie.
It is telling me to do less so I can be more.
Yes, it feels counterintuitive — decidedly scary — but it feels profoundly right.
This literal “pull” inspired a poem this afternoon:
Too much
Enough already
Press pause
Before it all breaks down
Motherhood
Puppy care
Entrepreneurship
Writing a book
Adulting
Being everything
To everyone
Yet not having the time
Or energy
To just be
Press pause
Before it all
Breaks
Down.
These words are my reality check, my permission slip to step off the endless treadmill of productivity and achievement. They also reflect the crossroads I’ve found myself at.
As I read the comments to my post from last week, I realized there is power in identifying the threshold between one way of being and the next.
This week, more than last, I am realizing I need to recalibrate. It’s time for me to pause in that space, to turn my head and see where I’ve been, and to look forward to where I’m going.
The Vision and the Reality
In January, I launched MansiMakes With You — a paid community membership —with a beautiful vision: I wanted to create a space where we could have heartfelt conversations, create with empathy, compassion, and grace for ourselves. It was never about another “revenue stream” — at $10 a month I was barely paying for the subscription plan on the host site.
It was a safe space where we could:
Engage in meaningful conversations to enrich our individual journeys
Nurture our creativity in a way true to us, not by following rigid step-by-step directions
Gain self-confidence in our unique brand of art
Forge connections with each other in an authentic manner
I offered monthly Zoom workshops, in-depth video tutorials, exclusive product previews, digital downloads, and community giveaways. I wanted to empower members to create in a way that was meaningful to them.
It was absolutely wonderful!
But as I poured my heart into this vision, I started finding myself stretched impossibly thin.
I wanted to do it all. But the reality is, I am not an empty nester. I still have demands from a pre-teen and a pup, not to mention the myriad other responsibilities that come with just day-to-day adulting.
A Difficult Decision
With this in mind, today I made the extremely difficult decision to end my community membership.
I’m learning that there’s a difference between moving forward and rushing headlong into burnout.
Right now, my focus needs to be on what matters most in the here and now: my family and my upcoming book.
While the paid membership community is “on pause,” I'll still be sharing updates on the book, life musings and other happenings (including, maybe product launches) on my social media channels and, of course, here through my newsletter.
Most of you are not members of my paid community — so why am I telling you all this? It’s a reminder: as we each navigate our own paths, there’s no single “right way” forward.
Finding balance looks different for everyone and, for me, for now it’s all about those Little Tokens of Love: Big Ripples of Happiness.
It means setting boundaries around my time and energy.
It means choosing to be fully present with my family, to immerse myself in the creative process of my book without the pressure of constantly showing up elsewhere.
It means continuing to live mindfully and making time to find joy in the small moments.
It means giving myself permission to be a human being, not just a human doing.
Thank you for being here, for witnessing this journey, and for perhaps finding the courage to examine your own path.
Here’s to fewer “to-dos” and more moments of genuine connection — with ourselves, with our loved ones, and with the creative spark that brought us all together in the first place.
Until next time, may you find joy in the pause,
Mansi.