September 13

Be gentle with yourself as you continue move through this month. You are allowed to be proud of yourself while still on the journey. As you learn to come alive right here on the journey, remember that you are allowed to redefine success. You are allowed to pace yourself as you learn to come alive, despite the fears.

Whether it's fear of rejection, failure, success, uncertainty, change, being alone, or something else, or some combination thereof, know that it doesn't make you weak. You feel the weight of it all.

Even if you have taken the smallest step in the direction of doing something before the fear subsided, this is something worth acknowledging. Perhaps a year ago, you wouldn't have been able to do some of the things you have faced this year. Maybe an older version of yourself would be surprised by everything you've been through, and maybe also, that older version of yourself would be surprised by your courage too. No matter what you think an older version of yourself would have thought about you, what matters is that you know you have this very moment to continue coming alive, with courage, even amidst the fears.

The way you come alive right now might simply be trying something new that you may not have attempted last year because of fear of failure. The way you come alive today might simply be inquiring about an opportunity that you haven't been able to get off your mind. No matter the outcome, know that the way you have acted on courage matters. And the fact that you've learned to be gentle with yourself as you slowly try new things matters more than you know. Remain gentle with yourself as you continue to practice courage. Surprise yourself with what a gift it is to pace yourself on this journey. - MHN