what i learned this week

i am persevering. one more time: i. am. persevering. this has been a huge theme for me this week, both in my professional and personal life. when i say theme, i mean truly - around every corner i have been confronted with situation after situation through which I have had to pause, take a breath, and remind myself that i can and will persevere. what has struck me most is that i haven’t had this many challenges all in one go for quite some time, and perseverance isn’t something i pause for on a regular basis. but, it was a truly powerful and empowering experience once i took a step back and observed my week from a different perspective, because i recognize that i did persevere and succeed despite each challenge. in my yoga class a few days ago, my instructor noted that not every obstacle or challenge is an enemy. i have been trying to look at every obstacle this last week as an opportunity for me to grow and prove to myself that i am stronger and more capable than i think i am. today is my first day off after the wildness of the week, and i am taking some additional time to reflect on what i have learned this week now that it is through. i think throughout everything, i realized that i just had to step back and remind myself “i am okay, it’s going to work out. i am okay. it will be okay.” and after calming myself, i could better problem-solve and create solutions. i responded instead of reacted. i definitely feel stronger and more confident after everything this week, and even though it was really tough i am grateful that i went through it. i took the photo above at the climax of my week. you can't exactly tell, but it was a lighted neon sign in the window of an art gallery near my work. it was just the reminder i needed, so i included it here.