"It was a Friday night in August 2017. I had just poured a glass of cabernet, sank into the couch next to my husband Craig, and without warning, the words tumbled out of me: "Why do we do this to ourselves? What's the meaning of any of it?" I didn't realize it then, but that moment would mark the beginning of everything changing - from the inside out."
"Up to that point, my life had been a masterclass in keeping everything together. I held an executive position, spent 10 hours a week commuting, managed my kids' needs and schedules, maintained a spotless house and the never-ending projects of home ownership, and plowed through strenuous workouts that matched the intensity of my overloaded nervous system. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the daily 5:30 p.m. glass of wine that "took the edge off.""
"Every day felt like Groundhog Day - relentless, dutiful, numbing. I had ignored it for years, spending far too much energy and time looking everywhere outside myself for the answer: the next promotion, the new company, a higher salary, a bigger title, better vacations. I was never satisfied, always chasing something just out of reach - trying to rearrange the external world to make my inner world feel better."
Erin Coupe describes a personal breaking point that catalyzed a shift from relentless doing to intentional being. She balanced an executive role, lengthy commutes, parenting logistics, home upkeep, strenuous workouts, and a daily glass of wine while feeling numb and unsatisfied. She chased external achievements—promotions, salary, titles, vacations—to fix an internal emptiness and prioritized efficiency according to others' expectations. That pattern led to de-prioritizing herself and living repetitively. She argues that replacing routines with intentional rituals refocuses attention on what truly matters, restores meaning, and creates sustainable productivity and wellbeing.
Read at Business Insider
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