Living the Life You Prayed For

As humans, we often fail to appreciate what we have accomplished. It is extremely easy to blame ourselves for failing, feeling overwhelmed by a goal, being incompetent, inconsistent, and not good enough.

When you succeed at something, do you celebrate it in any way? Probably not. You do not tell yourself, “I am proud of you, you did it, you did even more,” “Look at what is around you, it was not there before, but it is now thanks to you.”

Why do you not do that? Because once you achieved that goal, it became another item to check off the list. You already have new ones you are focusing on. 

I am sure that, some time ago, you have dreamed of something you have now. Now that it has come true, you do not even notice it because it is already your everyday reality. Recognize it and recognize your journey. We always want more; that is a given. Our needs grow, and our desires change, because more and more things seem possible to us, and we keep raising the bar higher. But every once in a while, stop. Look around and see what you already have. 

Appreciate those smaller successes, that little progress, those “unspectacular” steps, when added together, allowed you to achieve greatness for yourself. Think about your purpose.

Think about the stages you had to go through to get there. 

Notice what you did (specifically), what you learned, how much effort you had to put in, what you had to sacrifice to make it happen. Notice how your life has changed because of it. 

We are often caught up in our daily lives, problems, and responsibilities, so we do not see how many of our old dreams have already come true. You wanted to move out. The apartment is small, nothing like the ones on your Pinterest board. Now you will focus on buying everything you need to get by, settling into your new place, and renovating. But have you stopped to appreciate that you have actually gotten there?

You wanted to start your own business. You are facing significant responsibilities, costs, new projects, and the need to keep everything in line. But you have taken the steps that will make this possible. 

Maybe you wanted to work in fashion and received your first internship. You certainly wanted to climb higher, but you can already be proud of yourself. Do not forget, this was not guaranteed. You once dreamed and prayed for it. You took that chance. 

These are only examples, because we are all people with different aspirations, but let us look at everything around us with greater gratitude. Maybe these things seem ordinary to us now, simply because they are a part of our lives, but we once prayed for them. Let us be thankful that we have worked hard to create a better reality for ourselves. 

You can live surrounded by nature, just like you wanted. You can do your job from home. You are studying your favorite course. Your art is appreciated. What was once your plan or wish is now your daily routine. 

Even if things are not perfect, you are on the right track and divinely protected. That is worth celebrating, because achieving goals is always a process, often a challenging one with many stages. With every step, you are getting closer, and that is something to value. 

Be grateful for the opportunities, skills, and life circumstances that allow you to do this, as well as the ambition and strength to turn your visions into real results. People have not always had the same possibilities as we do now, where we can truly choose who we want to be, where we want to live, and what we want to do. Now, we have greater freedom to decide for ourselves (according to our creator), and I think it is amazing how much has changed, and how many doors are opening. 

What may have seemed distant and unattainable to us as children or teenagers is now, maybe, our daily experience, or we can do everything we can to make it so. Looking at what happened to our ancestors and what is happening in the world today, let us reflect on how privileged our position is.

This does not mean we cannot want more, rest on our laurels, and have no expectations. It is human nature to have a conquering spirit. At the same time, look around you, return in your thoughts to what you asked for in your prayers before bed, what you wished for when you blew out your birthday candles, what you wanted to happen in the future, and see what of that is already present in your life, and what you fail to notice. 

Rather than setting specific conditions to finally feel proud of ourselves, why not feel satisfied at every step? Take yourself on a solo date when you succeed in something you have been striving for. Stand in front of the mirror and congratulate yourself, right to your face. Look at what you have fought for, things you might miss in the rush of everyday things. 

This is yours.

This is your work, and no one can take it away from you.

You are the only one who has truly experienced the journey you have taken. So, you are also the one who can truly appreciate its value. Do not wait for others’ approval. 

Give it to yourself right now.

With love,

Kierstyn

Image from Pinterest