🌸 hello, darling 💓
A short story and an offering
Sharon Salzberg tells this story in her book Real Love. She was deep in her metta (loving-kindness) practice, repeating phrases like may I be peaceful, may I be happy, may I be filled with love, and feeling like nothing was happening. It all felt flat. Mechanical.
Until one day, she dropped a tray she was carrying. Glass shattered. And out of habit, her inner voice whispered, “Sharon, you’re such a klutz.”
But this time, without missing a beat, she added, “…and I love you.”
That was the moment she knew the practice was working.
Because something had softened.
Because the harsh voice was no longer alone in the room.
And when I heard her tell that story, I smiled, because I had one of those moments too.
I had been doing metta practice myself for years. Studying with brilliant, heart-centred teachers, devouring books, layering in other modalities, somatic work, nervous system repair, mindfulness, plant medicine, therapy, coaching. Relentlessly on and on. And I don’t want to make it sound like it was tiresome. It wasn’t. Healing is my life’s work, and as Prentis Hemphill says in her book How We Heal –
“Healing is an orientation to life. It is not a destination.”
UGH. I love that so much, but I digress, back to my story.
So this one morning, I just… woke up. And before my inner critic had a chance, i’d instinctively reached for myself, as if to administer a great, big hug. And I said to myself,
“Hello, darling.” And I meant it.
That was the moment I knew. “Oh. It’s working!”
A few months later, I shared that story in a daylong retreat. I told Sharon’s story and followed with mine, because sometimes we need lineage and lived experience in the same breath. And after I spoke, one of the participants raised her hand and asked:
“How did you get to that place? Where you spoke to yourself like that?”
My whole nervous system paused.
I was not expecting that question nor was I prepared to answer. How do you explain 25+ years of study, healing, heartbreak, relapsing into old patterns, trying again, failing, softening, learning, unlearning, praying, meditating, spiraling, and still…still choosing kindness?
How do you explain the invisible work of becoming someone who can say hello, darling to herself and believe it?
You don’t. Not in a sentence. Not even in a single course.
But you can begin.
And this course, Hello Darling, is my way of helping you begin.
what is hello darling?
A four-week, heart-forward course on self-compassion, softness, and learning how to talk to yourself like someone you love.
This is not some fluffy, platitude-heavy, Instagram-quote parade. This is grounded in real practice: mindfulness, metta (loving-kindness), nervous system literacy, and somatic tenderness. It’s about tending to the internal mean girl, the inner critic, the high-achieving part of you that only ever feels safe when she’s performing. We’re not fixing her. We’re listening.
We’re creating space to soften the edges and come home to ourselves.
who this is for
Anyone curious about mindfulness or loving-kindness but allergic to spiritual bypassing
Tender-hearted overachievers, burnt-out baddies, recovering perfectionists
You, if you’ve ever needed to hear “hello darling” from your own voice
You are ready to invite new levels of softness into your being
what you’ll learn
The foundations of mindfulness and self-compassion, taught in plain, real talk but through the lineage of Insight Meditation
How to work with the inner critic (not against her)
How to actually feel metta instead of just reciting words
How your nervous system responds to gentleness and why that matters
Practical, repeatable practices you can return to again and again
what’s included
Four live weekly Zoom sessions. Think Dharma talks, practice and softness
Guided meditations to download and keep
Weekly practice prompts + reflection rituals
A private comment space on Substack to connect with others (or not)
Optional reading list, including free resources
🗓️ schedule + cost
We begin: July 24, — 2025 for the New Moon in Leo
Four weeks of live Zoom sessions — tender, real-time community practice with me and a cohort of magical people, each week.
Pay-what-you-can options:
$111 one-time payment — magical portal energy.
$34 a week for three weeks — ‘staying on my budget’ energy.
Need a scholarship? Just email me — I got you. 💌
tiny portal practice: say it with me
Place your hands on your heart. Or your cheeks. Or wherever you need a little softness.
Close your eyes.
And say: Hello, darling.
Say it again.
Say it until something inside you softens, even if it’s just one millimeter.
That’s the beginning. That’s the whole point.
✨ how to sign up for Hello, Darling (beta cohort)
This is a soft launch with a soft heart, which means no fancy payment gateway (yet!).
Venmo $111 to
@nicole-daboul
In the notes, include: Hello Darling + your email addressEmail
nico@softsystems.world
Subject: Hello Darling Sign-Up
Include:Your Venmo screenshot
Your full name
The email you'd like course info + Zoom links sent to
That’s it! You’re in. You’ll receive a welcome email within 24 hours.
🧡 First 5 sign-ups receive a free 30-minute healing session with me.
Love you already.
You soft, brilliant thing.
xo Nico