Every minute we do something for our well being deserves acknowledgement. We should count every second. Years ago, anxiety took over. After the birth of my third child, I caved as stress and anxiety consumed me. I couldn’t go anywhere without fearing awful things would happen. After a few attempts, I connected with a therapist who showed me the value of taking things slow. By creating a pace I was comfortable with, I overcame the crippling emotions and terror that prevented me from living.

“Moving rocks today strengthens you for moving mountains tomorrow.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

Instant gratification is what I expected, and truth is, I still catch myself wanting this timeline. When something doesn’t fit, I should make it fit or throw it out. And I should do so immediately. Well, I did not recover from my mental health battles overnight. To move forward, I studied it. I listened to myself, listened to others, took from these teachings what I needed, and left the rest alone. It took about a year overcome my anxious mental road block, which is longer than I wanted.

Now, I look back at my struggles and appreciate this part of my past. The work to get here was hard, but it’s now “complete”. I use that word lightly because there is always improvement to be made, and self understanding to sort out. Always.

As a writer, I’ve come to terms with not being a best-selling author right out of the gate. I have a lot to learn. I must practice. There are years ahead to work on my craft. For my garden, when I lose my crop of onions to onion maggots for the first time, I determine what to try next year. I have to wait an entire year just to try again.

The pandemic has forced me to slow down. It’s preventing me from planning my immediate future. Things can change quickly sometimes, but they can also take longer than we expect. We steer our own ship, right? It takes effort. My message is it’s okay to find a pace that works for you. Your mental health is important. Progress is important. Progress is not always comfortable. In fact, it usually isn’t. Keep asking yourself hard questions and finding time to move in the right direction. Even if it’s a fraction of an inch, one day you will look back and recognize the miles you’ve come. 

Photo by Daniel von Appen on Unsplash updated with Canva.