inhale,
exhale,
and remember:
you’ve been learning to move through it all,
moment by moment, breath by breath.
as a river moves through the a vast landscape,
you are learning to move through this space, too.
When you start to feel the pressure of waiting to see if things come together, take a deep breath wherever you can.
If you’re wondering if there will be enough time to do all the things you need to do, or you’re feeling the weight of societal expectations or the need to meet milestones in a specific order, pause for a moment.
When you reflect, you are not wasting time. Instead, you are creating room for a more natural flow, even in small ways.
Like a river running through the forest, embrace each curve and bend as you flow. There are places where you will rush and places where you will pool, each rhythm part of your unique story. Through all of the changes, transitions, twists and turns, you are allowed to take time to discover what it means to move with the flow right here.
Wherever you feel pressure, remember that pausing to breathe, reflect, or seek support isn’t losing focus or wasting time. Welcome compassion by thinking of this moment like a river that unfolds in many ways, yet is still filled with life. For like a river’s winding course, progress takes many forms – sometimes easily noticeable above the surface, sometimes hidden. Yet the path still grows, and the water still flows.
Think about what’s been nonlinear in your life. Consider the things that haven’t followed an easy step-by-step. Reflect on how, because the winding path often requires so much attention, that is all the more reason to identify where and when you can welcome compassion into the journey. Allow these moments of gentleness to nourish and sustain you along the way.
When you start to feel the pressure of waiting to see if things come together, take a deep breath and remember that even amidst all that is nonlinear that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. Remember the way the river meanders and how it still progresses and finds new paths. Consider how, through it all, beautiful movement is still possible. – Morgan Harper Nichols
