Albicocca – Mirella's Way

It took me quite a while to write this post. Every time I felt it was almost finished, I reread it and realised it wasn’t quite what I wanted to say. Putting my story into words proved more difficult than I had expected. I’m certain that in a few days I’ll read it again and think I could have written it better — but “perfect is the enemy of good.”

At this point, I consider this version to be final.

Before I begin writing about sustainability, motherhood or creativity, I want to share the story of my path.

I have always admired people who follow values close to my heart: love, respect and empathy. I didn’t always manage to follow them myself. Not because I doubted their importance, but because I didn’t always feel confident or strong enough to defend them.

I have travelled a long road to become a more grounded and confident woman. And I am still learning. Today I know that if I want to have a positive impact on the world — even the small piece around me — I must consistently choose the values that matter to me.

Respect — for myself, for loved ones, for other people, animals and the world — is the foundation on which trusting relationships are built. And from such relationships, strong communities grow.

Yes. I want to make this world a better place. Even if I begin with small steps.

I created this space to tell the story of the road I have travelled — and the one I am still walking.

A Childhood Without the Language of Emotions

As children, no one taught us how to deal with emotions or how to find balance. My own journey toward that was long and demanding. And it continues.

As a teenager, I realised I had difficulty managing my emotions. My first step toward change came through a meeting with the Hare Krishna movement — I was seventeen at the time. I heard that becoming a vegetarian makes a person gentler. Just like in the animal world, carnivores tend to be more aggressive than herbivores.

After that meeting, I came home and told my parents that I was becoming a vegetarian. And I stayed vegetarian for the next ten years. I’m not sure if I truly became gentler — maybe a little. But at that time, I was close to myself, close to my emotions, even though I still couldn’t fully control them.

Philosophical Explorations

During this time, I moved from my small hometown to Warsaw. Living in a big city, without family or friends, was a challenge. Fortunately, I met many wonderful people who are still part of my life.

At the same time, the fast rhythm of city life made me drift away from myself and my emotions. It was difficult, but I never stopped searching.

The next stage of my search — back then, I would have called it “wandering” — was a deep interest in philosophy. Working in the Medical University library, I read Tatarkiewicz’s “History of Philosophy,” and Sokrates soon became my favourite. I returned to his dialogues many times.

I tried to live by his principle that virtue is knowledge: if you know what is wrong, you won’t do it. It was a natural continuation of something I learned at home: do not do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you.

Socrates believed our task is to care for the soul and grow morally. That wealth and power do not bring happiness. I believe that too.

Buddhism, Minimalism and Yoga

I no longer remember which came first — Buddhism or yoga. Both changed my life.

I am not a Buddhist and do not plan to become one, but the teachings helped me cleanse my inner world. One idea had a particularly strong impact on me: that suffering comes from desire. In a world that constantly tells us we need more, this was a revelation.

This understanding led me to minimalism. I’m not a perfect minimalist — I still sometimes accumulate things — but I am learning to choose less, consciously.

Buddhism also taught me mindfulness. Silence and nature help me develop it.

It also opened the door to meditation. I still have much to learn — but each day I try to return to myself. I am on the path. 🙂

Yoga strengthened my body and mind. I became more flexible, stable, more attentive. My favourite — Hatha Yoga — naturally supports meditation. Some asanas lead me into deep focus, especially balancing poses held for longer.

Motherhood in Midlife

Another significant chapter in my life was becoming a mother. I experienced motherhood in midlife, which makes it feel different than it might at twenty or thirty.

It is an extraordinary experience and difficult to describe. My daughter Gaia was born peaceful — like a little Buddha. She slept well, ate well, and developed harmoniously. She was, and is, healthy.

Gaia is a joyful, creative and independent girl. My pride. My joy. My miracle.

Today I am learning to give her space — to separate emotionally and allow her to be herself. It is a difficult but essential lesson.

This is a very personal post, but I feel that this is the right place to begin.

This is my path.

Perhaps it will inspire you to reflect on your own.

Or perhaps you have already done so.

How do you find balance in your life?