Our layers are as good and nourished as the various things pouring into them. Encouragement from a dear friend is just that:

Remember YOU and your happiness. Sometimes we get so caught up in worrying about what everyone else thinks or is doing and forget or neglect our own desires, needs, and goals. 

Very true. There’s freedom in the journey. We only get one shot at this life – in work, in play, in love, in faith, in dreams, and in health. Our personal choices matter. Make them count. Everyone gets this opportunity to live these things out, but no one can live or choose what we must live and choose for ourselves. There’s no perfect timeline, solution, or playbook for many things. We may nod our heads knowing this to be true, but it often gets lived out differently. There’s guiding principles; a God who loves us, wants our burdens, and intercedes on our behalf; struggle and challenge; support systems and avenues; stumbling; incremental learning; discovery; adventure; risk-taking; vulnerability; and growth. 

May we remember and apply these concepts with how we are with ourselves and with others. And see the beauty in them. What might our lives and interactions look like if we embraced these ideas and let go of perfection, unrealistic expectations, and what is working against freedom in the journey?