WORDS FOR THE JOURNEY - PROSE PATHS
If you're journeying along a trail in nature, you might eventually encounter a fork in the path. At times, it can be challenging to decide which direction to take. Do you select the route that leads you up toward the mountain? Or perhaps the one that draws you deeper into the woods? Or what about that less-traveled path off in the corner, mysterious yet inviting?
Making choices can be difficult in such situations, a sentiment that mirrors life itself. On this page, you'll encounter "prose paths" inviting you to select a piece of prose that resonates with you, and follow its course to explore its deeper implications.
Through this combination of art and poetry, my aim is to remind you that the choices we make daily, no matter how small, can lead to noteworthy or thought-provoking outcomes.
Directions: Simply choose one of the four images that resonate with you, and discover where it leads in the caption space beneath it. There are three sets in total. Save the images and words and carry them with you as journey down the winding trails of daily life.
- Morgan Harper Nichols, creator of the Storyteller app
Choose which one connects with you…
If you chose A…
You have not missed out on your growth. When you're doubting your progress, remember that just like those who are blooming around you, you are an integral part of the landscape you are in, too. Yes, there will be sun, wind, and rain, and there will be many others that bloom in different ways all around you, but none of that takes away from how you will continue to bloom how you were meant to.
If you chose B ...
Your worth is not determined by outside validation, and you are growing at your own pace in a beautiful, honest way. It is only normal to desire to be acknowledged, but even before those words come, may you know that as sure as wildflowers blossom in open fields, whether or not the rest of the world sees them, you are free to keep blooming, too...just as you were meant to.
If you chose C…
Just because you haven't been able to fix everything or make sense of everything doesn't mean you won't grow. The small ways you have been learning how to let go and breathe deep matter more to your growth than you know. Yes, there will be mystery here. There will be moments when you don't know what's next. And there will also be moments when you are able to look back and see how this garden called life was blooming with richness and depth.
If you chose D…
May this be a season of noticing signs of your own maturity. May this be a season of noticing the things that don’t bother you like they used to. May this be one of those seasons you will look back on with gratitude for how you have grown. There is more to come. More love. More joy. More peace. And you're finally starting to notice.
If you chose “A”…
For whatever feelings are rising up, be gentle with yourself. Feeling what you need to feel is a process, and so is finding the language to express those feelings. Even if you feel like something is changing but you can't quite figure out what, you are free to inhale, exhale, and make space for what you're feeling, giving yourself time to breathe deep in that space.
If you chose “B”…
You have not met everyone you were meant to meet, including a future version of yourself, who is learning to practice having an open heart to new connections that will take shape in due time. Keep your heart open to the possibility that, perhaps even good experiences you had years ago, were not just static moments, but moments that serve as small threads to remind you of a love and joy that was still possible, amidst it all.
If you chose “C”…
May this be a time in your life where you experience growth by not just growing upward, but outgrowing the constraints you thought would keep you stuck forever. Be gentle with yourself as you branch out into new directions remembering that far beyond the fears you have known, there is still room for you to continue to move on, heal and grow.
If you chose “D”…
You were made to shine bright, but you don’t have to shine brightly all the time. You are free to ease your way into the sunlight. You are free to take your time. This world will ask a lot of you, but this remains true: You don’t have to perform and achieve all day long to shine like you were meant to.
If you chose “A”…
You're allowed to change your mind. You're allowed to embrace the nonlinear nature of your story. You may not know exactly what lies ahead, but even in the smallest ways, you’ve been allowing yourself to practice letting go wherever you can, however you can. Even in the most subtle ways, you’ve been exhale. It might not always feel like it in real-time, but you are making room for new possibilities. You are learning what it means to be free.
If you chose “B”…
You've been brave in the mountains and valleys. Now it's time to move through the flower fields and winding paths, too. For perhaps, it will be here that joy surprises you. It can be hard to fully grasp the richness and fullness of your experiences in real-time, but that doesn't mean life can't be beautiful...even in a thousand little ways. You are learning how to move through this space in a mindful way. You're learning to let yourself dare to dream and imagine what this journey could become...and who you might become, too.
If you chose “C”…
You're not wasting your time by pacing yourself. You're learning how to allow slower rhythms to lead to moments of growing in wisdom. Even if you don't have as much time to slow down as you'd like, may you know it still matters to slow down you can, whenever you can. You're learning to pay attention, and it matters.
If you chose “D”…
There might be times when you find yourself wanting to let go and just "be" in the moment, but you can't help but worry about what lies beyond the bend. Be kind to yourself when you are in that space. It doesn't mean you've failed. Being present to the moment can start with a simple exhale. This is a small things you can do right now that you can continue to build upon.
I sincerely hope these prose paths resonate with you, adding a touch of intrigue and insight to your everyday journey. May the smallest connection spark the most profound discoveries.
Sincerely,
- Morgan Harper Nichols, creator of the Storyteller app