1,000 Days of Stillness: What I Learned from Showing Up to Meditation Every Day

Do you ever feel completely exhausted, crawl into bed… and suddenly your mind is wide awake? It starts running through tomorrow’s to-do list. Replaying today’s conversations. Rewriting moments you wish had gone differently. Your body is tired, but your brain refuses to turn off.

It’s happened to me more times than I would like to admit.  And that’s why yesterday felt so meaningful: I reached 1,000 consecutive days of meditation (Thanks Headspace).

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d become someone who meditates every day, I would have laughed. I’ve always been someone who is loud, thinks fast, and struggles to sit still. I assumed meditation meant clearing your mind completely and that felt impossible.

After nearly three years of showing up daily, I’ve learned something surprising: Meditation isn’t what I thought it was. It’s NOT about an empty mind. 

I now realize that meditation is not about silencing my thoughts. It’s about noticing when my mind starts to spiral and gently bringing my attention back to my breath, my body, or my surroundings, Letting thoughts exist without labeling them as good or bad. It’s less about control, and more about awareness.

Before meditation became part of my life, painting was my go-to way of processing the world. Art gives my mind space to breathe and play. I often think of the brain like a dog that’s been cooped up in a kennel all day, and right at bed time it gets the zoomies. Your brain, just like that dog, needs time to run, wander, and explore. Without that release, it won’t settle down for the night. Both meditation and creativity offer that kind of freedom. They create open space for thoughts to move, shift, and eventually soften.

These two practices support each other. Meditation grounds me. Art lets me explore. Together, they give my mind somewhere to go, and the opportunity to sit in the awkwardness of silence.

Yesterday marked 1,000 consecutive days of meditation. 

In the beginning, it felt like a chore. Now, it feels like a need.

At first, meditation was something I did.  Now, it’s who I am.

The real “secret” wasn’t motivation. It was consistency. But at first it wasn't easy, so I had to bribe myself…I made one simple rule: No coffee or tea until I meditated.

Most days it was ten minutes. But some days it was only three minutes.

I’ve meditated all over the world - Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Hawaii, Canada, The Carribean, South Africa, Morocco. I’ve sat in beautiful places such as botanical gardens, my own backyard, and my soft purple chair looking out my office window.

I’ve also meditated in harder places, like  chaotic, loud  airports or beside my dad’s deathbed.

Meditation didn’t require perfect conditions. It just required showing up.

This practice hasn’t just helped me “quiet my mind.” It’s changed how I live. I’m less reactive. I communicate more clearly. I feel more present in my own life. I can pause long enough to actually experience a moment. To notice a scent, a sound, a moment before it slips by. That’s the real gift.

Not perfection. Not silence. Presence.

I’m not sharing this to impress you. I’m sharing it to encourage you. Because if I can do it (someone who once believed they couldn’t sit still), YOU can d

o it.

I double dare you to try!

Watch the full video here: 1000 Days of Meditation