The Power of a Daily Pause: Lessons from The Pivot Year

The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest was the book that accompanied me at the start of 2024. As someone who loves to devour books in long, immersive stretches, this one challenged me in an entirely different way. Limiting myself to just one page a day became a practice in patience and reflection. It taught me the power of pausing—a lesson I saw ripple through my life in profound ways over the year.

The blurb beautifully captures the essence of the book: "If you’re still bridging the space between where you are and where you want to be, remember that the person you’re becoming is already within you."

The book itself is a collection of 365 daily meditations—short, thought-provoking pieces you can read at the start or end of your day. Without fail, they manage to tug at the right heartstring, often catching you off guard with their quiet wisdom.

More often than not, I found myself deeply resonating with the day's reading. It was as though the book reflected back exactly what I needed to hear. These moments reminded me that I’m not alone in my experiences. Like countless others, I have the strength to navigate my way forward. The key is learning to give yourself the grace to honor your journey as it is—because that’s where you’ll find the strength for where you want to go.

If life has made it hard for you to find time to read, or if you’re someone who enjoys reflective, soul-stirring content but hasn’t yet stepped into the world of books, The Pivot Year might be just what you need. On most days, it takes less than five minutes to read a passage, but the insights often linger far longer. And for those rare days when you have the time, you’ll find yourself savoring its depth and carrying its messages through your day.

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Some of My Favorite Lines/Excerpts

Note: The lines/excerpts shared here are taken from the book and are the intellectual property of the author/publisher. They are included to highlight my personal connection to the story.

from Day 34

Trust yourself. You don't have to predict every possible turn of the future, but strengthen your faith in the fact that you will be taken care of no matter where you find yourself along the way.

from Day 67

There are some things you are allowed to keep sacred, that you are allowed to keep small. This is not denying yourself, it is protecting yourself. It is reminding yourself that in a world where it has become normal to broadcast every detail of your existence, it is okay to practice discernment. It is okay to be intentional about who holds your most vulnerable pieces.

from Day 133

It takes a lot of courage not to numb yourself out, or distract yourself through your hours, and days. It takes a lot of heart to be willing to hurt, to be willing to open up, to be willing to keep trying, no matter how many times you must keep rediscovering your inner flame.

from Day 146

Sometimes, the greatest sign of growth is prioritizing rest and wellness, saying no, feeling more deeply, and expressing it more loudly. What can seem as though it your unraveling is sometimes your rebalancing.

from Day 257

How do you believe in your potential when your reality tells a different story? You begin to understand that belief is not found; it is built. It is built from desire, from hope, from passion morphed into some tangible reality.

from Day 302

Your environment will be one of the single most important elements of your life's journey, and it's your job to plant yourself somewhere you can actually expand, you can actually connect, you can most easily step into the person you really want to be.

from Day 348

If you learn to define yourself outside the lines, you find a certain kind of freedom. No longer is your worthiness hinging on what you think you have or don't, how you're seen or not. You are not what you're holding, you are the hands that are holding it. That distinction is the difference.

from Day 364

You should should go for it all - all of those silly little dreams. All of the little things that keep you up at night and make your heart move a little faster and make you wonder if maybe, just maybe, there's more. The ones that challenge you and follow you and won't let you leave them. Don't die with them inside.

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