Backwards is forwards
There is something really important—yet invisible—happening in those moments that feel like a step backwards.
If you find yourself there today, I want to invite you to consider the following ideas:
Maybe our job is to let go of judging our progress and to instead allow it to unfold organically.
Maybe when we zoom out, we can see how those backward steps fit into the remarkable progress we have made, and we can use that perspective to stop judging ourselves so harshly.
Maybe we humans are not meant to march forward in a smooth, unbroken line of productive progress.
Maybe the steps backward are where we reconnect to our humanity; to remember how it feels to struggle so we can extend compassion to others when they are in the same spot.
Maybe just like a slingshot being drawn back, the backward step gives us the force needed to propel us forward.
Maybe learning how to extend tender love and care to ourselves when we experience a setback is exactly what we are supposed to get out of the journey.
Maybe we can learn to see that a backward step is something to celebrate, because it means that we are still, despite all the challenges, working towards something that matters.
Maybe joy is found in embracing all of the steps—forwards, backwards, sideways—and trusting that the journey is the reward itself.
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