What I learned about connection, courage, and clarity in Paros

I’ve just returned from a four-day wellness retreat on the picturesque island of Paros in Greece.

I decided to take the leap and go alone — to unwind, reflect, and return refreshed to my familiar normality.

The retreat was organised by MYND – Corporate Retreats, run by the wonderful Marietta Sarigiannidou, and hosted at the serene Okreblue yoga resort — a space where people from around the world come to reconnect with nature and with the spiritual part of themselves that’s always whispering for attention.

🤝 From stranger to soul circle

On the first day, I knew absolutely no one among the 16 other attendees. Most had come with friends or had met at previous retreats.

In the mind of a stranger like me, every soul wore a question mark for a halo — shimmering with mystery, uncertainty, and quiet curiosity.

I caught myself thinking: “Okay… this is going to be hard. Who are these people, and how do I connect with them?”

Fast forward to the last day — the room was filled with warm embraces, heartfelt goodbyes, and teary-eyed hugs. The question marks I encountered on the first day had transformed into heart-shaped signs.

That is the magic of human connection.

💡 Here are three lessons that stayed with me:

1. Everyone has a story worth hearing. Unique — and yet familiar. A story of seeking meaning, connection, and reconnection with their inner child.

2. Take the first step. If no one else does, be the one to reach out. “Hi Maria! Where are you from? What wind brought you here?” Small talk is the spark. The fire is what follows: resonant conversations and genuine connection.

One of my most touching exchanges was with a quiet woman who seemed slightly lost at first. Over breakfast, I learned she’s a well-known fiction author in Greece, with several books under her belt and frequent visits to Cyprus. A whole world opened up behind what first appeared as reservation and perhaps withdrawal.

3. Our mind projects stories before we ask questions. I’ve realised how quickly I jump to conclusions — about people’s intentions, their character, their story. But time and again, I’ve been proven wrong — and felt relieved when I was. Because if my brain is a poor predictor, then it’s also a poor weaver of negative narratives.

And here’s the paradox:The brain’s failure to predict accurately is not a flaw — it’s an invitation. An invitation to dare to discover a world rich with meaning, beauty, and connection —just beyond the narrow walls of our fearfully constructed mental maps.

🔁 The deeper message

It was the great mystic J. Krishnamurti who once said:

“Do you see with your eyes, or with your mind? Obviously, you see things with your eyes — but much more quickly, you see with your mind. You see with memory, with knowledge. And when you see with the mind, you are seeing what has been — not what actually is.”

To see the world with fresh eyes, we must occasionally retreat. Step back. Reflect. Reset.

Otherwise, we risk staying trapped in old loops — projecting the same tired stories onto new people, missing the quiet miracle of what’s actually in front of us.

Repetition is helpful — for habits, structure, and rhythm. But for true expansion, for soul-level renewal — we must step away from the familiar… and return again, open.

❓And you?

Do you allow yourself to retreat? Or do you find yourself locked in cycles of repetition?

Wishing you a wonderful, grounded, and connected rest of the week.

Warmly,

Philippos