A little goes a long way
Overcoming self-doubt and isolation and fostering belonging - because we need you.
Learning to live with a high level of uncertainty isn’t easy, and we’ve all had to adapt to big changes over the past weeks and months.
If there’s one thing I want to say to you today, it’s a gentle reminder to be patient.
As I’m sure you already know, patience can be incredibly difficult to conjure up and sustain. Especially over a very long period of time, when the resolution you hope for is so uncertain.
So my darling, please be patient. Be patient with the world around you, patient with your situation, but most of all, be patient with yourself.
You may feel sometimes as if things will never change, or that you have no way out of the situation in which you currently find yourself. I promise you, that even when you lose sight of hope, nothing is ever totally f*cked. Change will come, and possibly when you least expect it.
What can you do in the meantime?
Passiflora woodcut in progress
One cut at a time
Keep nurturing yourself. Keep growing and learning, even if it’s in the tiniest of increments.
Everything happens in increments. Big changes don’t happen overnight. Most often, they happen in small actions consistently taken over time.
Today, I’d love for you to remember that a little goes a long way. Though your dreams may at times seem distant and dim, they are always closer than you think if you can hang to hope, and back it with consistent action, no matter how small.
But don’t take my word for it. Here’s some science for you from doctor, psychotherapist and founder of the Centre for Mind-Body Medicine James S. Gordon:
“Hope significantly improves performance in life, as well as recovery from illness. Children and young people who are hopeful are far more likely to focus on success rather than being preoccupied with failure; they do better academically and athletically. Students who are more hopeful are less likely to see poor grades as a sign of personal inadequacy, more likely to focus on trying harder or developing alternative study strategies. In one study, “high hope” accounted for 56 percent of the difference between the performances of groups of student athletes.
And the power of hope endures as we age. Hopeful adults are more flexible, committed, and imaginative; they function better at work. Hopeful older adults are far less reactive to stressful events. Hope decreases suffering from chronic pain and extends our survival from life-threatening illnesses like cancer. People who are more hopeful live longer.”
Give yourself permission to go as slowly as you need, and keep going.
One more thing: take time to acknowledge your accomplishments. We are so quick to move on to the next thing. Take the time to slow down and consciously celebrate your successes and wins, no matter how small.
When you befriend yourself in this way, I guarantee you will be unstoppable.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here.
