About this quote

A feeling that leaves you quietly undone is worth noticing. It isn't a failure to put that feeling into words; it's a sign that something meaningful passed by. Pay attention to what triggered the ache and let that lead to a small, concrete change in what you seek or protect. Can you set aside an hour this week to look for the kinds of moments that leave you speechless?

When to use it

• After my daughter's school recital when the room went silent, I whispered to my partner, "I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words — it made my heart ache."
• At the gallery opening, when a short piece of music stopped everyone in their tracks, I turned to a colleague and said, "I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful..."
• On a solo sunrise run, watching the light hit the river, I muttered to myself, "I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words," and slowed down to take it in.
• Listening to the band at my sister's wedding, when the whole hall went quiet, I told my brother, "I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words."