MAY TODAY BE THE DAY YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FOR ALL THE ENDINGS YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED IN YOUR LIFE

For all of the times where the good change has been hard to see, may there be moments where you are able to say to yourself:

"I am proud of the person I have become."
"I have learned so much from this journey I have been on."
"I look forward to applying all of the lessons I've learned in the future."

The moments where you are able to say these kinds of things to yourself may not come instantaneously, but that doesn't mean they won't come at all. It may take time to process and reflect on all of the changes that have happened in your life, but when you do, you will begin to find that all along, so many things that seemed one-dimensional, were actually layered with depth and hidden insights that you didn't know at the time.

Carry on into this week knowing that even when you can't make sense of everything in real-time that doesn't mean that nothing is happening here.  Allow yourself to move through the day doing what you can, with grace and intention, knowing you are not only moving through a moment, but gaining experience and wisdom that you will carry forward into the future. Yes, there will be unknowns ahead, and this is also true: there are also experiences that are shaping you in ways that will be meaningful throughout life. 

Keep in mind that these moments might be small, so that's why it can be hard to feel like it's true:

A moment when you say, "You know what? I'm actually not as worried as I thought I was."
A day when you manage to readjust something on your schedule even though it once seemed immovable
A time when you offer up a suggestion without feeling like you needing to apologize for suggesting it
An experience that helped you realize what you did or did not want in an relationship or friendship
A  conversation that made you realize you wanted to take a minute to think about something more

These are all growth-affirming and perspective-shifting moments that may not even seem like much at the time, but they all add up to the big picture of who you are becoming. And you don’t have to experience all of them every week or think about them all the time to begin to recognize that perhaps, even here meaningful change and growth is happening in your life, even if it is hard to notice at first.

It's not that each and every one of these experiences needs to be quantified and put on a spreadsheet in order to make sense of it. Instead, going into a new day or a new week being aware that even the smallest moments have potential for growth and insight can help you realize: all along, you have been learning to be present here in ways that matter.

So here's to entering into a new week with awareness and an open heart, ready to embrace all the moments - big or small - that are shaping the journey in more ways than you realize. Here's to realizing, even here, you are still growing in ways you are continuing to realize.

More in this week's series called "Welcoming Beautiful Change", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.

More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols