CELEBRATING HOW FAR YOU HAVE ALREADY COME
Yes, there may be more of a journey ahead, and this is also true: It’s never too early or too late to celebrate the good change that has happened in your life. And this is true no matter how small it is. It may not always be easy to notice on the surface level, but when you go deeper, you will begin to discover: there is so much that is happening here, as you move through each day, each week, each month, each year. For example, you might have…
Realized that you need more rest, even if you haven’t been able to rest as much as you want. Admitting this has been a big step for you.
Started making time for something important to you
Thought about what kinds of friends or connections you do or don’t want in your life.
Noticed that someone in your life has a more meaningful place than you originally thought.
Given yourself more time to think about how you’re healing, without worrying that it makes sense to everyone else. It's okay if some things are hard to explain.
Understood how important it is to have supportive people in your life and have tried to spend more time with them because it makes a big difference.
These are places in life where the outcome may be smaller and yet, they still matter. They are still moments of recognition that reveal what's important, what's worth acknowledging, making room for, celebrating, changing, or being grateful for. These kind of things may not always been seen as progress, because they are not the milestone kind. But at the same time, what remains true is this: something meaningful has changed. You know something that now matters. You have recognized something worth carrying with you into what comes next.
Let these smaller, lesser-noticed forms of progress remind you: the movement that is happening here matters no matter how small it is. You came into this season not knowing what tomorrow would bring and yet, here you are, are making the brave decision to keep noticing, to keep making room for what matters, and even when the outcome isn't easily noticeable in an obvious way, it that still matters.
So on those days where you feel like progress has slowed and you wonder if little moments onward movement are enough, may you remember you are allowed to expand what counts as change. You are allowed to recognize that even while there is still a journey ahead, the moments you've gathered here, the things you've already begin to recognize, and the ways you have been learning to be present all contribute to an expanding understanding of what it means to be alive right here, particpating in your life as you discover and make room for what matters, and allowing yourself to celebrate the progress, even while you are still on the journey.
More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols