There are many things in life where, on the surface, it might seem very simple, but in reality, there is pressure toward making quick progress and obtaining linear results. One of these unexpected places is the seemingly simple act of filling in a blank page. As the pen glides along the page, line by line, it might seem simple at first, but eventually, the pressure to fill it perfectly can be overwhelming. Sometimes, a simple practice of trying a notebook without lined paper or turning the page into a bullet point list format can help ease the pressure of having to write everything in order. Sometimes, just giving yourself some space to breathe…even if it’s just on a page can serve as a reminder of how moving line by line on a page or moving hour by hour in a day does not have to be this a strict, unyielding process. You don’t have to fill out the whole page or fill out the whole day for it to be meaningful. Notice how the ink grows in shape as you find new ideas across the page, even if you don’t fill it completely. Notice how you discover ways that you’ve been growing in life, even when you haven’t been “climbing” all the time; just like roots grow underground, and just like ink-traced paths emerge gently on the page, you too can find your own unique ways to grow, even in subtle ways. The page speaks, even half-filled.
You are allowed to reframe expectation: it doesn’t have to look like steady progress or polished results to be real or meaningful. Allow yourself to consider what possibilities might exist beyond the invisible demands of making everything look effortless. And remember, by acknowledging the effort, you create room for the kind of discovery that allows you to be in process.
– Morgan Harper Nichols
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