Yoyuu: the space between

Don't worry, I'm not going to sing Dave Matthews.

In East Asian culture, there is a beautiful concept called yoyuu: it means the easeful space between one thing and the next.

My mom would observe me jam-packing my schedule with todos and advise "Schedule things with some yoyuu."

I don't know about you, but the phrase "slow down" has lost meaning for me. When I'm go-go-go, it can be a pointless advisement, and downright annoying.

Yoyuu, on the other hand, is an exquisitely fresh concept. It's that pause before a gymnast launches into a floor routine. Adding a 30-min cushion between one meeting and another. Feeling gratitude between mindful bites of food. $10,000 in a rainy day fund. The moment right before a baby is born. The moment right before a loved one dies. Thinking for a few beats before speaking. A beach vacation before an starting a new job.

Just as there is beauty and magic in starting something, there is strength and clarity in quiet space.