Seasons don't change drastically overnight. They overlap. There are moments of spring that feel like winter, moments of autumn that feel like summer. When the seasons change on the calendar, you might still be wearing clothes from the previous one. It may take a few days or weeks before things start to feel like the new season.

Remember this when it comes to the seasons changing within your own life. If you have a new opportunity, it's okay if it takes time to settle into it. If you are in the season of transition, it's okay to feel an overlap with your emotions. Sometimes, the leaves turn yellow and fall to the ground while it's still warm outside. Other times it already feels like winter before they change.

Allow yourself room to embrace the overlap. Embrace the seasons that don't have hard starts and stops. Even though the days on the calendar are divided into these little squares. In reality, the days actually bleed into one another. When midnight strikes, it's technically a new day. But for most places in the world, it's still dark outside. It takes several hours before the sun fills the sky with light.

There's no hard start for a sunrise; it slowly fades onto the horizon line. And even within the same season, it doesn't rise at the exact time every day. So trust that so many things in life change this way. You don't have to experience drastic immediate shifts every day, to know that you are experiencing real and meaningful change. Breathe and let the season be what it needs to be.

Journal: Describe the season you're in as one of nature's seasons. Does it feel like spring, winter, summer or fall?

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Life can be fulfilling at age sixteen and also sixty. Twenty five and thirty five. Joy is timeless. No matter what's missing, you can make the most of where you are today. Of course, you will always be able to sit and wonder about things that could have gone differently. But you can also trust in this present moment that you have not missed out on what was meant for you. I know it's hard to trust when there's so much unknown. But instead of trying to make it all make sense at once, you are free to take this experience called life - color by color, tree by tree, scent by scent, relationship by relationship. You don't have to take it all in at once. Take in the newness of it all, one moment at a time, without worrying about the moments to come. And let that be enough.

Breathe deep. And let this moment be enough. Let this be a place where you find peace. Exchange your overthinking for overwhelming peace that says I will be okay without knowing everything. I will still be worthy of love if I can't fix everything. I can still have a meaningful life if I'm not where I thought I'd be. Grace will still find me. Love will still find me. I can still have hope for tomorrow, despite my uncertainty. I will keep going anyway.

And not trying to conquer the world. But taking it day by day, hour by hour, breath by breath. Knowing that every exhale is a sign of strength. I can be okay without knowing everything. Where you are meant to be, you will be in time. You might have to say goodbye to certain people, certain things, a certain place or certain idea of how you thought things would be. But there will still be open space to welcome new beginnings. There will still be room for you to trust and believe that you'll find love and belonging. Remember the ground beneath your feet. Remember, you belong here. No one has taken your place. You are not too far from grace. Your story might be unfolding differently than how you expected it would. But you are still being directed. Where you are meant to be, you will be in time, no matter your age or stage of life.

Journal: Where is the number one place in your life where you feel like you belong?

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No matter the connections that have been lost over the past few months or years, there is still room for new connections. Perhaps you have seen your community change. Maybe you have seen your group of friends begin to go their separate ways. Maybe you thought you found the one you would spend the rest of your life with, only to not have things work out. Even if you have had to move to a different city or a new job, the weight of a lost connection can leave you feeling isolated, forgotten, and even rejected. And the thing is: there will never be anything else like what you had. You will never meet another person who is exactly like the person you felt so connected to. But you are allowed to grieve what was, while also having hope that just because the beautiful parts of the past cannot be repeated or replaced, that does not mean you cannot have a beautiful future that will be meaningful and special in its own way.

You might not bond with this new person in the same way you did with someone else. But that friendship can still be beautiful. You might not feel the same familiarity in this new city that you felt in your last city. But you can still have a meaningful, adventurous life right here. You might not see how anything could ever compare to that night, that conversation, that relationship, or that season of life. But you can still find connections here in the present moment.

Yes, the present moment will look different from the past. But perhaps that can be a beautiful thing. It is okay to say I miss what was while anticipating what is to come. You can acknowledge the good and the valuable lessons that came out of the past without dwelling on the past. You can open your heart to let someone in without thinking that it will be exactly like it was before. Not all people are the same. Not all cities are the same. Not all seasons of life are the same. You are not the same. You have grown and you are changing. And you are allowed to experience beauty, love, goodness, and connection, no matter what yesterday looked like for you. Take heart, breathe deep. Allow yourself to say things will be different. And I will be okay.

Journal: How can you become the kind of person you long to connect with?

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What if your story was not only about staying on top of things, but about getting to the bottom of things? What if you actually needed unforced rhythms and slower paces to truly live through this season in a way that helped you grow? What if there are stories inside of you that are waiting to be shared? Thoughts and ideas stirring inside of you, that can only be cultivated when you're not in a rush?

When we think of expressing ourselves or sharing our stories, it's normal to think of social media or sharing with a crowd of people. But this is only one kind of sharing. The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves matter too. The way we talk about our childhood, or our frustrations, or the root of our joys is much more than small talk. Human beings need stories. And yet, it's far too easy to get wrapped up in everyone else's. The stories we see on our social media feeds, the stories of our siblings or friends. Who’s further along, who's more interesting, who actually has a story worth telling?

In the rush of life, it's hard to see our stories for what they actually are: a never ending circle, filled with depth, life, fullness, mystery, hope, wisdom, strength, grace, resilience, and the rush of life. Sometimes it seems like our stories are nothing more than well, I was born here, then this happened, and I went to this school, and then I was in this relationship. But oh, our stories are so much more, more than can ever be put into words. Our stories are filled with emotion.

Think of a movie you've recently watched, reflect on how the characters invited you into their experiences, not from the plot summary, but through what they were feeling. Even if your life looks completely different than the characters, you felt a connection to their story. Of course, you can't see your life objectively in this way. But you're free to use your imagination - imagination that allows you to look at this season of your life, the emotions that you're currently experiencing, as if they were played out on screen. And perhaps then, you will find that no matter how boring or ordinary, it seems in the everyday, they're still feeling there. There is still a beating heart at the core. You will find that there was grit, and there was also grace.

It doesn't always feel like it in the moment. Resilience is woven through your story. Even the parts of your story that aren't inspirational or easily understood. Even the parts of your story that don't seem relatable or good. Remember that the resilience in your story is found in your stories roundedness - the wholeness of it all. And yes, there are moments and maybe even entire seasons where you feel weak, incapable, and too small. And somehow through it all, you have continued to rise up, day after day after day, proving that all by grace, you have been able to go into the grit of it all and come out, stronger, wiser, more equipped to continue to become who you were meant to be. You are resilient, even if it takes some time to see.

Journal: What are the first three words that come to mind when you think of your story?

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Sometimes we make decisions thinking we're making the safe choice. We choose paths because they seem reliable and steady. We long for stability. We long to have things in order so that we can experience peace. However, even in the best case scenarios, questions inevitably find us. Even if things are going well, we wonder, am I playing it too safe? Am I not being challenged enough?

In this space, we must remember to be open and honest about what we are feeling. We must seek out places where we feel safe and free to express our doubts and fears. We don't have to feel guilty for wanting something different. It's okay to acknowledge that we feel burnt out even if we love the job. It's okay to admit that we feel distant even in a loving relationship. And here's why it's okay:

Number one, feelings don't last forever.

Number two, you're allowed to feel more than one thing at once.

Number three, ignoring the feelings won't make them go away. Instead, they just go into the underbelly and show up in other places.

Feelings are messy, and oftentimes inconvenient. This is why it makes sense that for many of us, we would rather set them aside or in some situations, avoid them altogether. But when we do choose to do the courageous work of honesty, even when it comes to our emotions, we open ourselves up to grow.

Growth can feel uncomfortable, growth can feel awkward. However, growth also allows us to outgrow the restraints we've put on ourselves because of fear. Whether it's a fear of being vulnerable, appearing weak, experiencing pain or being unlovable, there is a life to be lived on the other side of that fear. A life filled with freedom - freedom to speak up, freedom to open up, freedom to be authentic without dwelling on what others might think.

Addressing your hidden feelings is hard work. But when you do this, you create opportunities for a deeper, more meaningful connection. Now is the time to say goodbye to hiding parts of yourself because you fear how you will be perceived. Yes, there'll be people who are not ready for the real you. But there will also be people who are inspired by your realness. It's possible that you could share your true feelings and you hang up the phone feeling embarrassed for being vulnerable. But what if the opposite happened? What if you hung up the phone feeling relieved and at peace, knowing that it mattered that you were honest? It takes great strength to say what you need to say. But to be honest, is to be brave.

Journal: Have you been straightforward lately? Why or why not?

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One day, you will look back on this season of your life and all of the things you made it through. You will look back with gratitude, because you will realize you were stronger than you thought you were. Even though in the moment you thought you were moving at too slow of a pace, you will find that all by grace, you were able to carry on anyway. Your story was still being written, and the valleys did not keep you from the rest of the journey that awaited you.

So on those days where you feel like your progress is slow, and you feel like you are stuck where you were a year ago, slow down and count the long nights that led you here. Count the difficult conversations you worked through. Count the little things that no longer bother you. This is progress, strength. This is how you overcame. Even when there are still tears in your eyes. Even when you still have a heavy mind.

The hurt you experienced that was out of your control does not have the power to keep you from being whole. Trust that you are still worthy of love. Trust: love is still greater than a fear. Working through the pain of past hurt is anything but easy. But day by day, you start to notice how the clouds are still moving, the wind is still blowing around you, the seasons are still changing. Even when the autumn leaves fall off the trees and you are forced to face the winter, you can also start to notice a little more sunlight pouring through the branches now. People change, seasons change, and your perspective changes too. You start to see where the light gets in. You start to see how to make it through.

Journal: What in your life is giving you a sense of purpose?

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Here's to the quietly strong. Here's to the one who has been working through things that you don't even have words for. Even here, you are worthy of long, slow, deep breaths, even while you are currently working through all of this. Here's to the one who is realizing that sometimes singing is a sign of strength. Sometimes letting go is a sign of strength. And your strength does not have to look like anyone else's in order for you to be strong.

Sometimes strength comes with a power pose, but maybe many other times, it's just the exhale you take at the end of a memory of something your grandmother used to say. It's realizing that even through all of the anxiousness, here you are working through it anyway. Sometimes strength is tears streaming down your face as you breathe out the words “it is well”. Strength is knowing that you're not weak if strength looks different, day by day, hour by hour, even.

Let this be the season of your life where you learn to embrace the wholeness of what strength looks like. Let this be the time of your life where you chose to think nothing less of the slower days, or you chose to think nothing less of the evenings where you just needed a moment to sit and process things. Let this be a time of your life where you don't think any less of yourself when you feel weak. May you travel through these next few weeks remembering that even when you have perfected that smile that makes it seem like everything is okay now, you were never meant to carry all of this on your own.

Slow down. Breathe deep. Remember, feeling does not make you weak. There is a lot going on right now. And this is also true: it’s not all up to you to sort through all of this right now. Breathe through this, sing through this. Invite all of your available senses to this. Let the splash of the dishwater and the laughter from the other room and the cars passing on the street behind you all remind you that you live in a world where a lot of other people are doing what they can to be strong right now.

Love, listen, be patient. Loosen your shoulders at the sight of the sunset. No matter the tension or stress. These are examples of strength.

Journal: When is gentleness, strength?

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You can only place so many lamps in a room so the shadows can't gather. Eventually they find their way to the walls and the floors. And at night, they spill out over everything. And this is also true: we are free to keep living amidst their presence. We may not be able to pick them up in our hands and toss them out the window. but we can still paint the walls blue, green, yellow. We can make room for plants. We can still sit there nearby and read our books. The night will come and it will get harder to see, but mourning does come after. We find that we are not held back by their longness or silence.

I am learning to hold on to this truth for the lingering shadows of the unknown. I do not know where tomorrow will lead, but I do know that when I take time for reflecting, looking for the good and noticing beauty, I am making room to let love in. This is a small, yet real example of hope. Sometimes amidst the shadows, I have not let go. I have managed to find something meaningful in the uncertainty.

This matters in times like this, when you and I are faced with the reality of what does not make sense, and we are forced to sit in wait more than ever before. The longer we are in the stillness, the more the shadows will seem to spill into the light. And just like that, shades of hopelessness start to ease their way into everything.

I cannot tell you that the shadows won't cloud your mind, or you won't get a little weary from time to time. But I can tell you: there is still plenty of room for light to fill the room. Take heart, breathe deep. The unknowns in the season might be greater than you have ever thought they would be. But even the fact that you are taking time to listen to this very line shows that through it all. You are still enduring to find a sense of peace in your heavy mind. Exhale after exhale is still leaving your body. You are still living, miraculously learning to dance in the shadows.

Journal: Have you ever tried to make sense of the shadows?

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When your thoughts have torn at the lining of your strength, take heart, be still. There is grace for this. No matter how things go from here, you are not the sum of what happened. You have grown. You have changed. You are still headed in the direction of where you are meant to be. You are stronger. You are wiser. Even when it is hard to believe, allow yourself to show up; allow yourself to breathe. In all of the chaos and imperfection, allow yourself to just be in this moment, for no matter what happens from here, you have already made it further than you thought you would.

Step into the clearing. Draw near to the grace. No matter how tomorrow goes, you will never be the same. One of the hardest things about fears is that they have this way of telling you things that are not true. They have this way of stretching and convincing you that no matter how much you have grown - no matter how much things have changed - the shadows that have followed you will have the final say. But the thing is, there has always been more to the story. You may have had to push through difficult things, but not once did those things define you. Even when they have left you with wounds that you were not sure would ever heal - even then they did not define you. Even then, those wounds are not the sum of who you are.

You are so much more than what you have experienced. Even when you have been walking through the forest for who knows how long and you feel everything but brave, courageous, or strong. The fact that you are still breathing points to the beautiful grace-filled truth that all along: as long as you are here, there is more to you. There is wisdom to be gathered right here. There are stories of your life that are beginning to take shape, and your heart is being prepared to tell them. And even though this does not change the past, it does mean that through everything, somehow, hope did last. And light is pushing through the hallways of your heart like a river. No amount of shadows can hinder where light can go.

So keep going. Even with a little strength you have: trust that even though all you're seeing is an endless canopy of trees overhead, that does not mean this is all there is. There's a clearing in the distance and you are on the journey there. You may be a wanderer, but you are not lost. You are on a journey somewhere. You are headed to a place where you will be able to see that even though you feel you have grown too weak, all by grace, there was more to your story.

And even if inhaling and exhaling is the only sign of strength you see today, may you never think any less of it. Allow yourself to deepen in gratitude as you remember what a miracle it is to be breathing at all. This is no small thing and there is grace for every breath. Even here in the wild of a seemingly endless forest, there is grace for this. There is grace for this.

Journal: Where are you finding grace today?

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Just in case no one has told you lately: it is okay if you do not have it all figured out. It is okay if you are still learning how to breathe, while making it through the desert of things. I'm not sure what things you have been told lately, or what pressure you have been made to feel. But above all of that, there is room for you to still find rest in knowing: it is okay if you are not where you thought you would be right now. It is okay if you're still figuring things out when everyone else already seems to have their plans in place.

The reason why this is okay is because no matter how far productivity takes you, it does not automatically equal joy and fulfillment in life. There's nothing wrong with getting things done, but may it never become the way to measure growth in your life. Instead, take a look at your inner life. Take a look at the ways you have grown in patience. Notice the ways you have learned to be gentle and extend grace, even when it seemed impossible. Remember the time you did something kind and didn't take the credit. Remember the season where you made a conscious decision to begin the journey of letting something go.

No matter what things you don't have figured out, it's those inner things that make all of the difference, no matter what lies ahead. When the days turn into weeks, and the weeks turn into years, and you're wondering how long you have to wait and make the most of life right here - know that even then, light pours through and shines in unexpected places. And after all this time, it is still worth delighting in. For light will show you even in the most shadowy, ordinary rooms, there is still space to heal. Light reveals, even in the waiting. So let your heart be filled with joy at the possibility of what could be. And not just big, far off distant things. But the small and seemingly insignificant - a flicker of hope in the stillness, that even here you are free to come alive. Right here and me in between you are still becoming who you were meant to be. And it is okay to not have it all figured out and still be growing in wisdom and in grace at the same exact time.

Journal: What seemingly ordinary thing are you grateful for today?

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