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What are coincidences, anyway?
edition #9
Good morning and welcome back to On the Brookeshelf!
In today’s edition, we cover:
A book that changed my life this week
What are coincidences, really?
How to fast-track your wind-down routine
Let’s get into it.
🧠 1% better
If you read one thing this week, let it be this:
Format: Book Time Commitment: 5-6 hours (180 pages) Why bother: Within days, this book radically transformed my understanding of consciousness and my approach to self-discovery. The book's core tenet is that the thoughts, feelings, and experiences we typically identify with are not truly part of our selves. Instead, there is an Observer behind the mental chatter we usually identify with—an Observer who is peacefully aware of everything we experience but remains separate from it. This Observer is the real You. Our life's work is to disentangle ourselves from our thoughts and emotions to discover the Self that lies behind them. The book teaches us that everything we truly need comes from within.
What are coincidences, anyway?
Have you ever had an experience where some person, place or thing keeps coming up in your life in random ways? That was this book for me this week.
About a week ago, a thread about Singer (the author)’s life popped up on my Twitter/X feed. That was the first I’d heard of him. A few days later, I was having a conversation with a close friend, during which I shared that I had not yet managed to experience the separation of Self and thought that is often talked about in meditation. In response to my sharing that, she recommended me this book. I thought, that’s a weird coincidence. My friend thought she had a copy on hand that I could borrow, but then it turned out that she didn’t. I didn’t think much of it, and promptly forgot about the book. The next morning, I went out for my yoga class. After class, I grabbed a coffee at the studio cafe. Opposite my table, there was a bookshelf. On the bookshelf was – you guessed it – this book.
At that point, my curiosity sufficiently piqued, I decided to borrow the book. And guys, I’m being real right now: this book was exactly the teacher I needed to meet this week.
So the next time something keeps popping up for you, follow it with curiosity. Because it may be a coincidence, or it may be a message sent specifically for you.
Or what if they’re one and the same?
💡 Fast-track your wind-down routine with me
Do racing thoughts keep you up at night?
You're not alone. An estimated 30% of adults struggle with insomnia.
The bad news is, good sleep is the foundation of good health.
The good news is, it’s fixable.
I worked evening shifts across time zones for ~2.5 years. I worked evening shifts across time zones for 2.5 years, often logging off after midnight. This made it hard to unwind and overtime, really hurt sleep quality. Thankfully, through trial and error, I managed to develop a system to unwind quickly and reclaim precious sleep.
How to Unwind Your Mind in 30 Minutes:
1. Set a Strict Log Off Time
If your last call ends at 11 PM, allow a 30-minute buffer to schedule follow-ups and wrap up your thoughts. This is your Log Off Time.
When your Log Off Time arrives, close your laptop.
2. Configure Sleep Mode on Your Phone
If you use an iPhone, you have the ability to customize your Do Not Disturb modes. There is a default setting for Sleep already configured, which disables all notifications and banners, including email and Slack.
All you need to do is schedule your Sleep Mode to auto-start at your Log Off Time, and end 30 minutes after your Wake Up Time.
3. Prepare Your Body for Bed
Get into pajamas, brush your teeth, do your skincare routine, fill up your water bottle. Do whatever YOU need to feel physically ready for sleep. Now you’re ready to unwind your mind.
4. Brain Dump
Take inventory of any loose ends you'll need to address in the morning. Using pen and paper, create a to-do list for each item. This signals to your mind that these tasks are taken care of, allowing you to let go of them for the night.
Tomorrow morning, you’ll make your way through that to-do list before diving into your workday.
5. Plan Your Morning
Decide on your top 2 priorities for the next workday, and write them down. This ensures you hit the ground running and gives your mind the confidence to fully power down.
6. Meditate for 20 Minutes
This might sound daunting if you've never meditated, but I promise you, it's the secret ingredient to this entire system. Meditation is not about stopping your mind from wandering; it’s about gently bringing your focus back to your breath each time it strays.
If you’re an experienced meditator, use any timer tool. I love the free timer on the Medito app. For novices, guided meditations are helpful—try the Medito app or the Balance app for your first 5 sessions. After that, I recommend trying to transition into a silent meditation using only a timer, as well.
Give this a go and let me know how it works for you!
🫶 ICYMI
Fitnecessities is live! I co-launched this passion project last month with the aim of helping more people find movement they love, and a community they love to move with. We share Dubai-based fitness class and studio reviews and host IRL workouts and community meetups. Check out our Fit Directory and follow us on Instagram for your daily dose of fitness motivation.
I’m launching a wellness podcast. The Well Path Podcast is a peek behind the curtain with top wellness entrepreneurs and experts who have carved their own paths to a life well-lived. We’ll cover topics across fitness, nutrition, mindset and more. Be the first to know when episode #1 drops.
That’s all for now. Thank you for being here.
See you next week!
Love, Brooke
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