Let Yourself Savor It

I think many of us are very good at looking ahead. We accomplish something we have worked toward, feel proud for a moment, and then almost immediately start thinking about what comes next.

I know I can be guilty of that.

Lately, though, I have been reminding myself that there is also value in stopping long enough to recognize where we are and how far we have come.

This season has brought some really special moments into my life and my art career. I have recently been given the opportunity to teach a six-week class at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum, more classes are coming, private lessons are beginning to fill, and there are other things quietly taking shape behind the scenes that I am very excited to share when the time is right.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized that I need to let myself enjoy this.

Not rush past it. Not immediately turn it into another checklist. Just receive it.

There is nothing wrong with wanting more for our lives. I hope I always have another dream, another place I want to go, another painting I want to create, and another idea waiting somewhere on the horizon. But our accomplishments are meant to nourish us too.

Sometimes we need to stop long enough to say, I worked hard for this. I am grateful for this. And I am going to allow myself to enjoy it.

That does not mean we have lost momentum. It means we are honoring the journey.

And so much of my journey has been made sweeter because of the people who have been walking alongside me. If you have taken one of my classes, purchased a painting or a book, shared one of my posts, read these Monday Motivation letters, or simply continued following along as my work has grown and changed, thank you. Your encouragement means more to me than you probably realize.

There are still dreams ahead of me, and I am excited about what is coming. But today, I also want to appreciate what is already here.

Maybe you need that reminder too.

We spend so much time working toward the next mountain that we sometimes forget to turn around and look at the view from the one we just climbed.

This Week’s Reflection

What have you accomplished lately that you have not truly allowed yourself to enjoy?

Take a moment to acknowledge it, be grateful for it, and let it count.

There will always be another mountain, but you are allowed to enjoy the view from this one first.

You are worthy.

You are enough. You do enough. You have enough.

💕💕Ann