Morgan Harper Nichols' Blog

Tag: self-care

  • Small Joys, Even in Fragments

    Small Joys, Even in Fragments

    Remember the small moments that bring warmth and joy to your life, for even if they feel far away or no longer as potent or relevant as they used to be, the fact that you can remember them at all is a reminder that through it all, you have been connected to this life. Through it all, you have been alive. Notice how many things that bring warmth to life are connected. Whether it’s spending time with other people or spending time with other people’s stories as you read books or listen to music, it’s all connected somehow. Even if you’re just passively observing or vaguely remembering those warm moments, that’s still something worth holding on to and building upon, no matter how small it is.

    And when it comes to the present moment, and how you seek to find joy and warmth in the days to come, allow yourself to think of the smallest things. In addition to all the good things that could be connected to other people, these things can also be connected to your senses as well:

    What specific color makes you think of joy?
    What song seems to have a sense of warmth to it?
    What scents or textures help you remember joyful moments yet again?

    Increase your ability to notice what might grow right here by allowing yourself to ask these kinds of specific questions. Use your available senses to anchor yourself in these small joys and let them be a pathway for finding warmth and happiness in the present and in moments to come. And if you’d like, you can also ask someone you know to answer these questions and explore the many nuances and ways different people move through these more subtle experiences and how they connect to a bigger picture. – Morgan Harper Nichols

  • Grace for Unfinished Chapters

    Grace for Unfinished Chapters

    When you are able to cultivate gratitude in the present, you are also laying the foundation of contentment that you can carry with you, toward the future.

    This can especially be true when it comes to how you relate to other people. In moments where you find yourself being compared to others or something was said to you that doesn’t reflect who you fully are, it’s in moments like this where you can remember what’s actually true about you, and how that’s something worth being grateful for.

    If there is a moment in the future where someone says, “Oh, you’re still working on that? I thought you’d be done by now.” In that space, you can reflect on all the ways you’ve been learning to be grateful for your own pace and growth.

    There might be times when others tell you (or you tell yourself), “It’s surprising you haven’t moved on to bigger things yet.” And in those moments, you remember how you’ve been learning to be grateful for your unique journey.

    When you’re hearing, “Are you still doing that? I thought you’d have found something else by now,” You can remember the small ways you’ve been learning to be grateful for your own strengths and progress.

    There is no way to perfectly prepare for everything that will come, but you can still take moments right here in the present, learning to be grateful for what you have, what you’ve learned, and what you’ve been becoming more aware of each day. On this last day of May, may today be a day filled with gratitude that sets the stage for all that is waiting to be discovered. May there be grace for unfinished chapters. May there be spaciousness in the journey of becoming. – Morgan Harper Nichols