Before I become someone new, I owe some gratitude to the woman I’ve already been.
There is something I’ve been thinking about lately.
We spend so much time celebrating the woman we’re becoming that we sometimes forget to acknowledge the woman who got us here.
The woman who figured things out when nothing made sense.
The woman who kept showing up when she was exhausted.
The woman who made difficult decisions without knowing whether they would work out.
The woman who rebuilt her life more than once, sometimes with very little support and even less certainty.
The woman who survived seasons she never imagined she’d have to experience.
We talk about becoming our highest selves, entering new chapters, embracing transformation, and stepping into abundance.
But what about the woman who carried us through the chapters we’re so eager to leave behind?
Doesn’t she deserve some flowers, too?
I’ve been asking myself that question.
And I think the answer is yes.
Absolutely yes.
The Woman Who Always Found a Way
For much of my adult life, I’ve been a woman who figures things out.
It’s something I’ve always taken pride in.
When circumstances became difficult, I found solutions.
When opportunities weren’t available, I created alternatives.
When life required more of me than I anticipated, I adjusted and kept going.
There were seasons when that meant working multiple jobs just to maintain financial stability.
There were seasons when it meant relocating, rebuilding, starting over, and trusting myself to navigate unfamiliar circumstances.
There were moments when I had no idea exactly how everything would come together.
But I knew I had the ability to keep moving.
And I did.
I’ve earned degrees, developed a career, held leadership positions, and accomplished things that once existed only as personal goals.
I have worked hard.
Very hard.
And I’m proud of that.
But somewhere along the way, I became so accustomed to overcoming challenges that I rarely paused to appreciate what overcoming them actually required.
As soon as one obstacle was behind me, I was already focused on the next goal.
The next promotion.
The next opportunity.
The next financial milestone.
The next version of my life.
I was always moving forward.
And while there is nothing inherently wrong with ambition, I’ve begun to realize that constantly pursuing what comes next can make it difficult to appreciate what already exists.
Especially when the latest goal remains just beyond reach.
