Growing

Sometimes we get so caught up thinking about what we don’t have, we forget how much ground we’ve already covered. It’s easy to downplay progress when you're not where you thought you’d be. You start thinking you're behind. Like everyone else has it figured out and you’re just out here winging it. But truthfully, I’m not where I used to be last year, and that counts.

I’m still figuring things out. Still making slip-ups. Still having days where everything feels a bit too much. But I’ve grown. In ways I never clapped for myself about. There’re things I used to stress heavy about that don’t even rattle me anymore. People I used to chase that I wouldn’t even think to message now. Situations I used to lose sleep over that I now brush off with ease. 

The person I was a year ago wouldn’t recognise how I am now. And I’m not saying I’ve got it all patterned, but I’m definitely different. Growth doesn’t always come dressed in designer, flashy cars or new achievements. Sometimes it just shows up. In self-control. In choosing to breathe instead of reacting. In walking away instead of proving a point. In choosing yourself, fully, even when it feels weird.

I still have a journey ahead. Still going after big ideas. But I’m learning to acknowledge the small shifts. The tiny adjustments. The way I carry myself now. The way I think before moving. The way I protect my peace. That matters. Even if nobody else sees it or celebrates it, I do.

Right now, I’m not where I dream of being. But I’m not at the beginning either. I’m somewhere init. And that’s okay. That’s more than okay. Because I’m still going. And for today, that’s enough.