Full of Nothing #69

When my grandmother passed away, my dad gave me some of her books.

One of them was Simple Abundance, and I absolutely love it. Not just because it’s a great book, but because every time I read it, I think of her.

She was ahead of her time, and between her and my mom, I can see the little seeds of possibility they planted—seeds that shaped who I am today.

The other day, as I was reading Simple Abundance, the author referenced a fascinating concept from Japanese culture: Ma—the idea that negative space is not empty, but full of possibility.

In Japanese philosophy, Ma can be translated as gap, space, pause, or the space between two structural parts. It’s described as an emptiness full of possibilities—a promise yet to be fulfilled. Or, as the silence between the notes that makes the music.

There’s no direct English translation, which isn’t surprising—because in the Western world, we often see empty space as something to fill. We pack our calendars, our homes, our minds with more, more, more. Social media, distractions, noise—anything to avoid the spaciousness of nothing.

But I love this idea of Ma —
That sense of fullness in the space and silence.
The joyfulness in the nothingness.
The sacred pause potent with possibilities.

As a mother, Ma also makes me think of Mama — the way our bodies create space for life to grow. The way we hold invisible space for the people we love, allowing them to feel safe, connected, and free to flourish.

I believe it’s vital that we create spaciousness in our lives. In our homes. In our calendars. In our hearts.

Because in that nothingness, we hear our intuition. We feel the next promise calling to be fulfilled.

We embrace the silence between the notes—the space that makes the music of our lives.

Gently close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in… and out.
Honor the pause, the space.

Set the intention to notice the silence between the details today. Feel the space in and around you. The emptiness full of possibilities. Because there are promises waiting to unfold.

Breathe in… Breathe out.
Open your eyes.
Feeling more centered, grounded, and spacious.

Sending you big love and blessings as you embrace the power of empty space.