Category: Daily

Words to repeat to yourself today: “I am giving myself permission to add my own health and well-being to the list of things I care about.”

This one is for those moments where we may find ourselves overwhelmed and unsure of where we can create space for care, rest, gentleness…

It’s okay to start small.

Even in moments when it’s hard to prioritize ways to take care of yourself, any step you take still matters. Perhaps, even during the seasons of life when it’s difficult to remember all the things you need to do, you are still learning how to name your needs. Simply allowing yourself to start by saying, “I am worthy of care,” is a start. Be kind to yourself today, no matter what today’s to-do list looks like.

May today be a day when you find beauty in the smallest of things, softly enriching the corners of your mind for days to come. May each beautiful sunset connect you to even sweeter memories for the future. For every flower you notice, or each delicious snack you enjoy, let these small joys quietly affirm that you are alive. Though life’s journey isn’t always easy, such moments do accumulate, nurturing the hope that there’s more wonder ahead. And remember, it’s okay if it doesn’t feel like this all the time, all at once. Any smaller flicker of gratitude is still worth noticing, however you can. Paying attention to the small beautiful things doesn’t mean ignoring the big things, but instead, it’s an opportunity to be reminded of the small parts of the bigger picture that are worth nurturing and sharing, however you can.

Words to remember if you’ve ever found yourself comparing yourself to others:

The words we use when measuring ourselves against others can leave a lasting impression. We might sometimes catch ourselves uttering doubtful words like this…

Comparison Statements:

“I’m nowhere as good at this as they are, so why even try?”
“I’m missing something essential, and that’s why I can’t succeed.”
“I’m too late to have something good like this happen for me.”
“I’m not as good as they are, so I’ll never reach that level.”
“I’m falling short of the mark, and it feels like I’ll never catch up.”

But keep in mind, if these discouraging statements come to mind, other more uplifting phrases also exist. Here are some “inspiration expressions” to carry with you in times you find the kind of things that inspire you without the comparison.

No matter how small these moments over or how infrequent, let yourself hold on to them. Let them become seeds that you can water and watch grow.

Inspiration Expression:

“I’m so glad I found this. It sparks my creativity.”
“This is exciting. It makes me want to join in.”
“This is fun. I’m having a good time.”
“That was enlightening. It contributes to my understanding.”
“This is thoughtful. It makes me think differently.”
“That’s curious. It makes me want to know more.”

When it comes to this second list, may you know that there is no pressure if you don’t feel all of that at once, every day. But if you happen to notice even the smallest thing that you found enjoyable or interesting that didn’t make you feel the need to compare yourself to, let that be a moment of celebration. Keep noticing what is meaningful, engaging, and motivating, and let the more nourishing expressions continue to grow.

There are so many ways
things can take shape in your life,
but perhaps, for all that is unknown,
that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful.
Perhaps, even though the waiting
asks a lot of you, this is also true:
there will be new beginnings
and good things that are worthwhile, too.

I cannot tell you it will be easy,
and I cannot tell you it will come together
in a perfect way,
but I can tell you
there will be sunrises,
people worth knowing and loving,
and abundant encounters with boundless grace.

For all that has changed,
may there be room
for a new way forward
to emerge in an unexpected,
yet beautiful way.

-Morgan Harper Nichols

Something to remember: quiet space is not the absence of active engagement. Instead, a quiet space is an environment where you can practice what it means to simple be, even if only momentarily.

–

This week, look for room where you can say this, at least once:

“I am making space for quiet.”

What’s helpful about this phrase is that it is a reminder breathing room is a part of life, too. The metaphor of “making space for quiet” means creating a place, either in your mind or in your life, where there is room for calm and stillness, even if it’s just for a moment. This idea challenges the belief that all spaces should be filled with activity or sound.

Space doesn’t always need to be filled. There’s often a tendency to find large blocks of quiet, empty spaces (whether it’s our time or our surroundings) as space that need to be filled with something like work, noise, or distractions. Making space for quiet is a reminder that quite can be just as important as doing things. We may not always be able to create long periods of silence, but even just taking a moment to consider what we might desire for quiet space to look and feel like is a thoughtful way to begin create space, right here. Allow yourself room to think of quiet not as an absence of active engagement, but a nurturing space to simply be, from which you can return to the things you need to do with clarity. This is something you can practice. This is something you can adapt and modify.

Whatever this looks like for you, allow yourself to rethink quiet moments however possible. Even at the beginning of the week, even if it’s something you have to plan for later, it’s worth exploring. Even if it’s brief, small pauses are worth pursuing. Allow yourself to explore what making space for quiet could look like. – Morgan Harper Nichols

The ways you are learning to be present here are in vain. The ways you are learning to be gentle with yourself amidst the unknowns matters more than you realize. Even if you know you still have more ways to go and you’re keenly aware of areas in which you’d like to grow, the fact that you are here right now is a sign of courage all on its own. In a world that often prioritizes certain kinds of success and tangible, linear accomplishments, it may be hard to recognize just how much courage it takes to just move through the day. But it’s never too late to be the way who says, “I am trusting that my present matters. I trust that the ways I am learning how to move through this very space are not in vain.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

Give yourself permission to be proud of both the monumental and small ways you have learned to move on in this life. Breathe deeply, knowing that even if you can’t consciously recall every instance, that doesn’t mean growth hasn’t occurred. As the sun journeys across the sky each day, you, too, have been navigating through each phase of each day. Things haven’t been perfect, and plans often went awry, but even the smallest steps are meaningful. Every exhale is a form of letting go all on its own. I hope you can be proud of all the ways you’ve learned to move on…including the small ways.

You have more impact than you know,
in a million little ways:
In the way you make others feel welcome and accepted,
In the way you listen,
In the way you love,
In the way you remember details that others may not have noticed,
In the way you make someone laugh when they needed a laugh the most,
In the way you recognize the importance of rest,
In the way you send a text that might remind someone they haven’t been forgotten (even if they forget to respond!)…

You have more impact than you know
when you say “yes” or “no” when you need to,
when you are kind to yourself…

You have more impact than you know
in ways that are beyond words, but still matter,
and the list of possibilities goes on and on…

May you never overlook how powerful it can be to slow down for a moment and breathe. May you never forget how far you have already come in learning how to exhale and let go. It can be easy to only focus on the progress that you need to make, but may today be one of those days you remember: when it comes to finding peace, this is something you’ve been practicing, and with each deep breath you take, you are building on that practice.

Think of peace as a river, running wild through a forest. Even if there are times where you lose track of where you are, you are still free to pause and find your way back. Some days, it may take you longer than others, but you are not a failure if it takes time. Just know that each deep breath, each small moment you’re encountering peace matters and you are free to keep practicing each day, even in small ways.

Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.

-Morgan Harper Nichols

Whatever it is that you are feeling, may there be space to feel it fully. May there be space to keep seeking out room to feel supported and loved where you are, even before things are “fixed” and everything is blooming. And even if that kind of love and support is not something that is easy to find, that does not mean that you are not worthy of it. Breathe deeply, knowing that you are worthy of time and space to do the things that heal your heart, even while you are waiting for new things to bloom.

Notice how even amidst all that isn’t growing, notice where the ground is still steady. Notice where there are gaps within the trees and slivers of air between every blade of grass, and let those small things remind you, too, there are spaces and pauses built into the world around you, and these spaces don’t mean that nothing is growing. Instead, they are an invitation to just be, in the in-between, and rest and just be. – Morgan Harper Nichols

Breathe deep and trust: you don’t have to figure it all out at once.

Letting go doesn’t have to mean “giving up.” Instead, it can mean: “amidst all I do not know, I will rest and trust: there is more to come.”

The future might look different from how you thought it would, but it can still be good.

And perhaps, it is not too late for you to experience beauty and joy right here.

And maybe, all of the little flickers of hope you keep finding right here will someday become a constellation of stars.

Maybe, for all you haven’t figured out yet, what matters is that you’re still completing breath cycles, over and over again, and that matters.

And no matter the unknowns that lie before you, there is still room to grow how you were meant to. – Morgan Harper Nichols

Being kind to yourself today no matter what you do or do not accomplish doesn’t mean that you can’t ever focus on growth or major progress. Instead, it means that no matter what progress you do or don’t make, you can create room for self-compassion right here—that doesn’t have to change. You are still allowed to move through each hour of the day knowing that through it all, there is room right here for you to let today be what it needs to be. This means that even when there are days when outcomes are measuring differently from what you anticipated, there is still room in this very moment to exhale and embrace the present. Embrace the present as a space in which you flourish by welcoming the multifaceted nature of what it means to grow in this life…which includes being kind to yourself.

…And perhaps, even here, in the smallest ways, you are allowed to look forward to creating new rhythms.

You are allowed to look forward to creating new memories.

Whether you’ve been thinking about the future could be in very specific detail, or you can’t imagine it all, or you’re somewhere in between, you’re allowed to start right here.

Thinking about what good might happen in the future doesn’t mean you’re ignoring the present.

It doesn’t mean that you’re expecting everything to be perfect.

You already know that there are mountains in this landscape called life, and there will be time for you to climb those mountains.

You also know that there are rivers and flower fields and gentle winds in this landscape, too.

Yes, you’ve been many places in this life, but you haven’t been everywhere.

You’ve learned a lot on this journey so far, and yet still, there will be more for you to discover.

You’ve met many different kinds of people so far, but there are still many more you might meet.

And knowing this, you are free to believe there is still room for you to create new rhythms. There is still room for you to make new memories. There is still room for you to make new memories.

Here’s to pacing yourself through September, one day at a time. Here’s to recognizing that you don’t have to figure it all out at once before you can breathe deeply, right here. By learning how to inhale and exhale in this moment, you are creating space. Even if it’s just one breath cycle that is slightly more mindful than the previous one, that’s progress in learning how to be present.

Be kind to yourself when you don’t feel like you’ve been able to pace yourself perfectly. Be kind to yourself when there are moments where you feel like you’re not making the progress you thought you would. Because even then, with every inhale and exhale, you are completing a breath cycle. Progress doesn’t have to be a linear climb up a mountain.

You’re allowed to let progress feel circular, like the cycle of a breath, moving through different seasons. Think of it like a leisurely stroll through a garden lined with winding paths. These paths remind you that the way you are learning to be present matters. In that kind of space, it’s okay if you keep circling back to the sunflowers or the butterflies floating in the early morning light. In that kind of space, it’s okay to take your time. Not every day will feel like like this, but we are allowed to trust that we are worthy of that kind of space. We are worthy of the kind of space where there is less pressure and more room to pace ourselves through things in a mindful way.

So even if every day doesn’t look like that, I hope you know it’s okay to sow seeds of being present right here. Take a deep breath in this very moment and trust: that is a part of a larger picture of you creating more space in this life, and may there be more to come.

Any moment spent taking deeper breaths and pacing yourself as you learn to be present here is valuable as you prepare for the journey ahead. – Morgan Harper Nichols

When you look around in nature, you will find growth isn’t just about constant improvement or achievement.

As humans, at times, we can frame it that way because many of our frameworks focus on growth as progress or growth as productivity. But when we look at trees, rivers, or fields, we are not just seeing plants and landscapes. We are being reminded, in real time, of how growth happens naturally in cycles.

And in those cycles, yes, there will be storms. Yes, there are things in nature that decay, wither, and return to the earth. There are ways entire landscapes shift and change after loss. The way things grow or stop growing is not separate from grief.

And in those very same cycles within landscapes, there is also the possibility of renewal. Rain pours from the sky, and so does sunlight. Leaves fall on the ground, and yet soil also replenishes in that very space. There are things that seem to take forever as they struggle to grow, and then there are also moments, all throughout the year, where we are surprised by the presence of wildflowers, butterflies, mushrooms, migrating birds, and the list goes on.

I hope you find that kind of growth this September, the kind of growth that appears in ways that don’t feel like constant straining or improving but natural movement unfolding in its own time.

Growth does not come easily, but that does not mean it cannot be freeing. That does not mean it cannot surprise you in beautiful, natural ways as you move through September’s landscape.

–

May September lead to the kind of beautiful growth that comes so naturally it surprises you and frees you to keep flourishing, despite it all, how you were meant to. – Morgan Harper Nichols

Let new mornings remind you that even though change is ongoing, you are allowed to take this one day at a time. There will be some days where you feel connected to the unfolding of your life, observing and perhaps actively planting seeds for what’s to come. Other days may call for a gentler pace, a focus on simply being. If you get to the end of the day and all you did was move through it, that doesn’t mean that all has been wasted. As long as you are still here, the future holds possibilities. Just as seasons change in many subtle ways, you too can gently transform, shifting and adapting as you grow. You too, can have days, where even on the surface it may not always seem like there’s been significant transformation, you are still engaged with meaningful growth that will become more apparent with time.

The future will arrive when it arrives, and in the meantime, you can recognize the process of building and creating new ways of noticing how you might embrace aliveness in the present as valid, important, and meaningful.

Notice the subtle shifts, for they lead to meaningful growth.
Trust in the process of gentle transformation.
The small needs nurtured today can bloom into the vibrant garden of tomorrow.
Embrace the gentle unfolding of life’s potential, one mindful moment at a time.

Through all that you have traveled through,
here’s to letting go, so you can finally fly, as you were meant to.
Here’s to realizing even here, there is room
to go beyond what you thought was possible.
And not just for the sake of achieving just to achieve,
but to engage with the art of beautiful, transformational process
of realizing all along, there was more to you.

Learning to spread your wings with courage
isn’t just about soaring to the highest heights,
but about recognizing
the valleys you have known were a part of your story,
but they were not the place where your story ends.
Let your next breath remind you: you are free to begin again.
Right here, at the end of the August,
there is more to you than who you’ve been.

Now is the time to let go of who you thought you had to be.
Now is the time to let go and rise up, just a little more free.

For whatever it is in your life that has you thinking, “I don’t even know where to start,” may you know that clarity doesn’t always happen all at once and it can come in small steps over time.

And here’s the thing, not everything has to happen in a perfect sequence.

Even in the places in your life that you long to be like a garden, “knowing where to start” doesn’t have to mean doing everything in a particular way, all at once, at all the time.

You can plant seeds in different spots, trying new approaches and learning from what you’ve tried.
You can work with the seasons, knowing that you can give energy to different things at different times.
You can tend to each plant as it grows, giving appropriate time to each as necessary.
You can let some areas rest, and come back to them later and let the soil just be, for a while.
You can continue to recognize over and over again that some things will take root faster than others, and that’s okay.

In many ways, the same can be true for finding clarity: allowing yourself to nurture different areas can help clarity take root, even if it feels slow at first. Keep planting and nurturing the garden you’re in (even if you don’t follow a linear step every day) and remember how beautiful things grow in different seasons. Some days, something might spring up in your day that leads to the “aha” moment where you say, “now it all makes sense” or “I know exactly what to do!” But in between those moments, you might have days where you simply say “That one detail feels a little clearer than it did before.” Or you could say, “I’m not as stuck on this one thing anymore…I think I’m ready to move on.” These may not seem like massive moments, but they are still moments of clarity, like tiny buds slowly emerging in your garden, quietly signaling growth, one small thing, one small moment at a time. – Morgan Harper Nichols

When it comes to the new things you are wanting to learn, it might feel overwhelming at first. You might feel like you’re wandering around without direction. But then, little by little, you start to understand more.

You start to find your bearings.

You wander off the main paths at times.

And you also find unexpected clearings.

You start to make connections.

At first, you only knew a few things, a couple of people, a short list of landmarks. But as you keep learning, you begin to realize you’re finding your rhythm here. Even through all the things that didn’t go according to plan, you still learn from them.

As you move through the forest, you start to recognize where you want to revisit and where you don’t.

Who you want to be and who you no longer are. Why you cling to certain things and why you let go of others.

You trace new routes.

You navigate the shifts.

You learn how to breathe at different altitudes.

You begin to discover there’s more to you, and this boundless space around you. -Morgan Harper Nichols