IT’S WORTH IT TO LOVE YOURSELF
No matter the rush of the modern world, may we never forget this: Everything in nature grows in its season — absolutely everything.
Often, we are waiting for things to spring to life before they are ready. It is a difficult thing to wait, but it is necessary. Everything in nature works that way. We have to wait.
So when you see other people receiving the things they were waiting for, remember, they are in a different season. You may be the same age, or you may have walked a similar path, but there is no need to compare yourself to them. Your life will look different, and that is a beautiful thing.
So keep tending to the garden you’re in. Keep watering the plants you have already sown. It’s okay to wonder when the season will come when you will see the fruit of your labor. And it is also okay to keep going, trusting that everything will grow in its season.
And one of the great things about everything growing in its season is that amidst the things that aren’t growing, you can turn your eyes to the things that are. You can look past the opportunities that have yet to spring to life and look towards the ones that have. You can hold the tension of both—what is blooming and what is not—and still be steady.
All at once, this is a complicated and natural way to live. But throughout life, we find this to be true.
Even our old photographs tell us these kinds of stories. We look at previous versions of ourselves, and we quickly notice what was so different then. We see our old surroundings and how they were a little simpler than they are now. We notice the way we used to dress or how we wore our hair. We remember who we were hanging out with back then, or the things we focused on that day. There was so much uncertainty back then. There was so much that had yet to fall in place, but somehow, we were smiling. Somehow, we were growing. We were springing up into who we were meant to be without even noticing.
Everything in nature grows in its season, including the things in your own life. You may be waiting for answers to your present uncertainty to spring into life, but perhaps Joy is already growing. Maybe peace is already growing. Maybe you can turn your attention toward what is already coming to life right before your eyes as you wait for other things to fall into place. Let these things remind you that despite what is missing, you are still growing. Despite what you are lacking, you are still standing in a garden that is filled with life. You are still worthy of being accepted, right here, where you are. You are still growing and you will continue to grow and it is worth it to be proud of yourself at every stage of the process.
Word of the day: Timing (n) “skill of doing something at best moment; when something happens or should happen” (Macmillan)
Affirmation: I am trusting the timing.
Journal Prompt: What are you watching grow right now?
More in this week's series called "Don't Give Up", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols
