6 Powerful Lessons from The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

Last Updated on October 19, 2024 by The Unbounded Thinker

I just finished reading the book, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim, and I am deeply impressed by the pearls of wisdom in this calming book. In the book, Haemin Sunim focuses on helping readers live a stress-free and fulfilling life. He shares several teachings that make readers realize the importance of slowing down in our fast-paced world. While reading the book, I noted down these six powerful lessons.

Lesson 1. You Experience the World According to Your State of Mind

The world appears negative when the mind is filled with negativity. It appears joyful when your mind is joyful, and it seems to rest when the mind rests. This happens because the boundary between the mind and the world is very thin and almost nonexistent.  

Lesson 2.  When Something Bad Happens, Rest a Moment

Pause your life and rest for a moment when life disappoints you. Do the things that will help you relax such as releasing suppressed feelings by talking to friends, taking a trip, listening to a song, watching a movie, or spending time alone.

Lesson 3. How to Deal with Negative Emotions.

Do not try to quickly control negative emotions when they arise. Trying to control them will only result in suppression. The best approach is to avoid labelling them by seeing them as raw energy, and observing this raw energy calmly until it transforms into something else.   

Lesson 4. When Feeling Low, Don’t Take Your Feelings So Seriously

When you are feeling low, always remember that you are not your feelings but you are the entity that notices their appearance and disappearance. Don’t internalize your feelings and don’t try to change them. See them as clouds passing through you, and they will eventually dissipate on their own.

Lesson 5. Why You Must Forgive Others

You must forgive those who wronged you, not because they deserve forgiveness but because forgiveness frees you from emotional bondage, enables you to be happy, and allows you to go on with your life.

Lesson 6. The Three Liberating Insights.

First. people are not interested in you as you always believe. Even your friend cannot remember what you were wearing when you last met. Second, not everyone has to like you. Third, if you are brutally honest with yourself, you’ll notice that most things you do for others are in fact for yourself.

This is just a summary of the amazing teachings from The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim. Read the entire book to gain full access to Haemin Sunim’s pearls of wisdom.