Getting back on the Horse
At a time I was struggling with my divorce, a friend of mine gave me the gift of a horseback riding lesson as a kind gesture to reinforce my capabilities of finding balance, rhythm, and confidence. This experience was all about of restarting, centering, and recalibrating - over and over again.
Today is January 15th - half way through this first month of the new year. I was thinking about you today, especially those of you who've messaged me feeling discouraged about "falling off the horse" with your new intentions. Maybe you missed a few days of your morning routine, skipped your journaling, or found yourself doom-scrolling your ex's social media after weeks of staying away.
First, take a deep breath. Now another one.
Let me tell you something that might surprise you: those "slip-ups" you're beating yourself up about? They're not failures – they're just part of your story. I think of my children, learning to walk. They didn’t take two steps, fall down, and decide walking wasn’t for them. They got back up, wobbled a bit, and tried again.
During my own divorce journey, I can't tell you how many times I had to "restart" my healing practices. A friend of mine once gave me the gift of a horseback riding lesson as a kind gesture to reinforce my capabilities of finding balance, rhythm, and confidence. This experience was all about of restarting, centering, and recalibrating - over and over again. I must have "failed" at it twenty times before it stuck, like so many other habits I’ve adopted. Each time I found myself metaphorically ‘getting back on the horse,’ I understood myself a little better.
Here's what I want you to know:
Missing a day (or two, or seven) doesn't erase your progress
You haven't "ruined" anything by taking a detour
Every moment is a fresh invitation to begin again
What matters isn't the number of times you've stumbled – it's the number of times you've had the courage to begin again. Done is better than perfect, and messy progress is still progress.
So if you've drifted from your intentions, consider this your gentle nudge to simply begin again. No drama, no self-judgment, no need to wait for Monday or the first of the month. Just pick up where you left off, dust yourself off, and take one small step forward.
Remember, you're not building a perfect recovery – you're building a real one. And I'm here cheering you on, stumbles and all.
With love and belief in you,
