126| A Three-Hour Wait Become Something Special

What I Learned by Transforming Them

You can read the full piece and join me here: zenbreaks.substack.com

Last week, I accompanied someone to the IPO, the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Lisbon. She was going in for a long exam, and I had a few hours to wait.

What could have been dead time became something else entirely.

While sitting there, I noticed a poster inviting people to donate blood. I had not donated in a long time, so I decided to look into it. The timing wasn’t ideal at first, but after asking at the centre, I managed to fit it in that morning.

The process was simple, kind, and surprisingly meaningful. I completed the questionnaire, went through the medical check, donated blood, and was even given food, water, and a few hours of free parking as a thank-you.

But what stayed with me most was not the practical side. It was the feeling of having turned waiting time into something useful — for myself and, hopefully, for someone else too.

The next day, I received a message saying my blood tests were all fine. A few days later, another message told me my donation had already been transferred to another person.

That part moved me more than I expected. It reminded me that even moments we think of as empty can become meaningful if we stay open to what is around us.

I shared the full reflection on my newsletter, Zen Breaks, where I write weekly about mindfulness, meditation, Qi Gong, and small ways of living more consciously.

Read the full piece and join me here: zenbreaks.substack.com