Hello my dear reader,

Firstly, my apologies for not arriving into your inbox last week. I was on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, soaking up the sun — and honestly, it was very needed. It feels good to be back a little sun-kissed.

This week on Friday we will have the Spring Equinox — a gentle shift into a new season.

Nature is slowly waking up and starting to bloom.

And in many ways, so are we.

In my last letter, I wrote about stress — and what it really is. (You can read it here, if you missed it.)

But since this trip, I’ve been reflecting on something deeper:

A lot of our stress doesn’t come from what’s happening now.
It comes from where our mind goes.

To the past.

To what could have been.
What should have been.
What we wish we had done differently.

But as Peter Crone says:

“What happened, happened, and could not have happened any other way — because it did.”

We are meant to make mistakes.
That’s part of being human.

But the suffering begins when we resist what already is.

When we hold onto an idea of how things should have gone — instead of meeting what actually unfolded.

And in doing that, we leave the present moment.

We miss our life this way!

There’s a quote by Bill Keane that I came across in The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday that stayed with me:

“Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”

When we’re on holiday, it’s often easier to be here.
We let go.
We soften into the moment.

But even then - expectations can creep in.

We want a day to go certain way
And when it doesn’t,
we’re frustrated… instead of present.

That’s another form of overthinking that makes us miss life!

Living in the anticipation of our future.

To be free from this is not about everything going perfectly.

It’s about trusting the moment — even when it’s messy, unclear, or uncomfortable.

There were moments on my trip where I felt triggered.
Disconnected.
Even in a beautiful place.

And looking back, I realise — those were the moments I wasn’t fully there.

That’s what we lose.

Life is so fleeting.
Why do we spend so much time trying to perfect it?

We never know what’s going to happen in the future, so why do we waste so much of our energy of trying to figure out the unknown, which is in fact, is meant to be so??

What if we let go of how things should be…
and allowed ourselves to fully meet what is?

Because this moment — exactly as it is — will never happen again.

There’s a Japanese philosophy called Ichigo-ichie — the idea that every moment is once-in-a-lifetime.

If we’re stuck in the past or rushing into the future, we’re not living it.

So maybe the real invitation is this:

Can you be here, fully here,
not just on holiday,
but in the ordinary moments of your every day life, too?

Because this is your life.
And the present is the greatest gift we have.

And it’s easy to miss.
But the missing and losing your life can end here.
By simply, being here.

A moment to pause.
To breathe.
To be with yourself in the present.

I’m hosting a private online Spring Equinox ritual for this community — something small, intentional, and not publicly shared.

If you feel called to mark the shift into a new season with more presence, you’re warmly invited.

📅 Saturday, March 21
⏰ 8–9pm UK | 12–1pm Pacific
📍 Online (Zoom)

A gentle space to regulate, reset, and reconnect as we move into spring.

During our time together, we will:
✨ Explore the deeper themes of the Spring Equinox
✨ Be guided through a spring visualisation meditation
✨ Reflect with tailored journaling prompts
✨ Connect in pairs in breakout rooms
✨ Receive a personal oracle card message from me after the circle

Energy exchange: £14

This will be a small, intimate circle.

If you’d like to join, simply reply to this email and I’ll share the next steps with you 💛

With love,
Essi

Invite a friend to the tribe.

Want to stay in loop about our upcoming events?

Follow Connected You Community on Eventbrite.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to these email letters here.

Want to read my old letters? You can also read my old letters on this website.

Have an idea you want to share with me or want to collaborate? Email me.

Interested in 1:1 coaching with me? Book a free introduction call with me.

Follow us on Instagram:

My community: @connectedyou.co My personal: @essiauguste