Remember the Journey

As the wine touched my lips, thoughts of inadequacy emerged with gusto.

Staring out into the city of Istanbul situated around Bosphorus Strait, I was struggling to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I was unable to relish the many peaks and valleys that brought me to this sublime moment. Rather, I was allowing the enemy, self-doubt, to creep in and steal my joy.

Despite the successes achieved, I never feel worthy. Often, I feel undeserving of the opportunities. Instead, my mind diverts back to the stinging memories, where I felt substantiated in my inferiority through words or deeds of others.

And yet, as my husband reminded me on that evening, do not let other people cloud your mind

(*** especially people who do not matter****).

So, here I am to impart the wisdom that I learned during this moment of insecurity, where I cried both happy and sad tears at a fine dining dinner. (LOL)

Stop . Take this moment. Savor your achievements. Remember the journey. Gasp at the progress. Laugh at the stumbles. Admire the triumphs. Show gratitude for those who got you here.

This is what grounded me and brought me back to reality. My husband and I cheers'd to where we have been and where we are going. We took a moment to delight in our journey. We recalled where we were the last time we traveled across the pond. We reminded ourselves how tirelessly we have worked over the last four years. We recounted the opportunities presented that we took. We delighted in the course we charted for ourselves. We thought of the countless failures, and yet we remembered the courage we mustered to continue. Because if we had stopped, we would not have been able to achieve new heights. And finally, we felt gratitude for those who took a chance on us, those who cheered us on, the ones who stood by us, and also those who we owe sincere gratitude for who we hope to bless over and over again because of it.

So go head, girls. Do the damn thing. Take the risk. Fall on your face, get up and keep trucking. You got this.

XO

Tay