Beautiful things take time

Perhaps, even here, you are free to give yourself permission to explore beyond what you thought was possible, imagining new paths ahead. After everything you have been through, there are still new possibilities before you to continue becoming.

There might be moments where you feel as though looking ahead with such hope will lead to unrealistic expectations. However, what you must know is that considering what might be possible beyond established limits takes time. There might be times when you say "yes" to something and don't get the results you hoped for. This can make it difficult to try again or move on. However, you are allowed to give yourself space to grieve the loss of what could have been while also knowing there will be new things to try. Even as your heart heals in one area of life, you may discover something new that you didn't think was possible.

What is also important to know is that imagining something new doesn't mean ignoring current responsibilities. Do what you can for the things you have to do right now while also considering how you might say, “I am open to how things might change.” Imagining what new paths might exist isn’t just about looking at what might be down the road, but recognizing that in the moments leading up to what’s to come, there are opportunities for growth and discovery. The way you practice hope right here is a part of laying the groundwork for what’s to come.

Allow yourself to focus on the small ways you can look ahead, right here. Not only will this help you learn to pace amidst the possibility of overwhelm and burnout, but it will also help you to remember that it’s okay if beautiful things take time.

Allow yourself to ask, “What if?” wherever you can. You don’t have to do this in every area of life. You can choose just one. You do not have to have an answer for every possibility before you can consider what new possibilities might exist:

Of course, there’s a possibility for an opportunity to not come through. But what if it did?

Of course, it’s not easy meeting new people. But what if you met someone and having a meaningful connection ended up not being as hard as you thought?

Of course, nothing will ever be just like it was. But what if you ended up experiencing something completely different, not as a replacement, but as a completely new chapter that was beautiful in its own way?

Of course, the days ahead are filled with unknowns. But what if you encountered grace, anyway?

There is no way of knowing exactly how it will all come together, but this is true in both directions: we can be surprised by all the things that didn’t work out, and we can also be surprised by all the things that do. It’s not easy to be in the unknown, but what remains true is that you are still learning how to come alive on this journey, exploring the possibility of what could be.

—

This is an excerpt from The Storyteller App