profile

Connection Catalyst

There's Magic Hiding In the Silent Moments

Published 2 months ago • 2 min read

How often do you let yourself pause without feeling guilty about it?

I'm writing this note to you after a long but beautiful day. Earlier today, I hosted my "silent-ish" retreat for a group of women and it was nothing short of magical.

Each one came in not knowing what to expect but knowing they needed time and space for themselves. And as I watched them color, play with bubbles, journal and wander in nature - all in silence - I saw their shoulders drop, their faces soften, lots of smiles and a light in their eyes.

They gave themselves a gift. One that we don't give ourselves often. Space to just be.​
​
What I witnessed reminded me of something many of us have forgotten - that we need space to just be. Think about it....we spend so much time rushing from one thing to the next, scanning our socials, checking our emails, or...completely wiped out and mindlessly scrolling or watching TV.

Where is the space for us to just be? To be fully present with ourselves and the world around us? To do something just for fun? To deeply exhale without worrying about what's next?

This is something I think that more of us need in our lives. And that's why it's my invitation for you this week. Taking time to just be. It doesn't matter if you are on work travel this week or have a lot of meetings. I want you to take time to relax. To rest. To just be. Even if it's only for a few minutes.

Your Invitation This Week - Make Space For You To Just Be

Here are three ideas to weave pockets of stillness into your busy day:

  • Connect with Nature: Take a few minutes throughout the week to cloudgaze, listen to the wind sweep through the trees, notice any leaves falling, watch the squirrels gather nuts for winter, anything that allows you to just observe.
    ​
  • Morning Savor: Savor your morning beverage (at least for a few minutes) in silence. No phone. No music. Sip slowly and notice the taste, the temperature, the feel of it in your mouth.
    ​
  • Workday Break: At least once a day, get up from your desk in-between meetings and stretch, dance, walk, move. Do whatever feels natural to you. And if you have bubble wands, maybe break them out during your break?

You don't need a silent retreat to start making space for you to just be. Start with a few minutes in your busy day and notice how it makes you feel. I know this might feel indulgent or even impossible with your schedule. Start with just one. That's enough.

Want more support in creating this space for yourself? Join my free Silent-ish Email Challenge where I'll guide you through 5 days of simple practices to help you find quiet and stillness in your everyday life. It starts on Monday, October 27.

Sending love and stillness vibes,

Chris

P.S. Don't have bubbles but want them? Here are my faves.

​

🌿 Presence Practice

Quick grounding practices to help you slow down and reconnect.

This Week's Practice: Tree Gazing

Find a tree—any tree. It could be outside your window, in your yard, at a park, or on your walk to work.

Stand or sit where you can see it clearly. Take a slow breath and let your gaze soften as you look at the tree.

Notice:

  • The way the branches reach and bend
  • How the leaves (or bare branches) move in the wind
  • The texture of the bark
  • The strength of the trunk holding everything up
  • Any birds, squirrels, or other life it supports

Stay here for 2-3 minutes. No agenda. Just observing.

Trees don't rush. They don't multi-task. They simply are—growing, breathing, being present through every season.

​

Connection Notes is your weekly reminder to slow down and create space for you. Remember, while your work, your people, and your life matters… so do you.
​
If this resonated, feel free to forward it to someone who might need this reminder too.

​

2945 Emmorton Road #385, Abingdon, MD 21009
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Copyright © 2025 Chris Coladonato, All rights reserved.

Connection Catalyst

Chris Coladonato

Speaker + Guide | Helping you unplug from the busyness of life—because you matter just as much as everything you're juggling. Sundays Unplugged is your weekly nudge and invitation to slow down, unplug, and make space for you. 🧚🏻‍♀️🪩🌳

Read more from Connection Catalyst
Three pictures side by side - moon at night, trees through window, small fir tree.

Nature from my NY trip: Early morning moon, trees from my AirStream, little fir tree on hike. Last week I headed to New York to spend a few days unplugged - driving up in complete silence, hoping boredom would lead to insights and clarity. Here's what actually happened... I drove the entire four hours in silence and enjoyed it (I'm as shocked as anyone). But about 90 minutes after arriving and getting settled in my room, I was bored. And then found myself caught in swirls of uncertainty and...

about 4 hours ago • 2 min read
Grey and white cat with head on his paw and eyes closed laying on red and tan blanket.

My cat Marley...clearly bored with me. When was the last time you were bored? If you're reading this on Sunday morning, I'm somewhere on 95/NJ Turnpike heading north to the Catskills in New York. In silence. (Or at least trying to be in silence...) That's right. No music. No podcasts. No audiobooks. Just me, the road, and four hours of nothing but my own thoughts and road noise. It's an experiment and I'm not sure how it will go. Four hours on the road in silence is....a lot... 😬 Why the...

7 days ago • 2 min read
Sunrise through trees

Sunrise in my backyard. It's the calmest moment of my day. What if took a moment or two...just for you? Have you noticed it yet? That feeling that time is both racing ahead and running out all at once? We're in that stretch now...you know the one...where the holidays are approaching and the year-end is looming. The to-do lists are multiplying and so much needs to get done. The world feels heavy, and yet we're supposed to somehow summon “holiday spirit” while it all swirls around us. And in...

14 days ago • 3 min read