Returning To Yourself

It doesn’t always happen in a dramatic way. There’s no spotlight, no confetti, no “you made it” announcement. Sometimes, it’s as subtle as standing in the kitchen, realizing the heaviness in your chest is gone, or going for a walk and noticing your breath feels steady, your steps lighter. Sometimes it’s laughing, really laughing, for the first time in what feels like forever, and realizing you didn’t have to force it. That’s when you know. You’re starting to feel good again.

Getting to a healthy state, physically, emotionally, spiritually, isn’t a straight line. It’s more like hiking up a winding mountain range. Some parts are clear and open, others are steep, muddy, or lost in fog. You take breaks. You backtrack. You cry. You breathe. You wonder if you’ll ever reach a place that feels light, or even alright.

And then… one day, without even realizing it, you're standing somewhere you once dreamed about, clear-headed, soft-hearted, steady in your bones. You made it. Not to perfection. But to peace.

Sometimes we expect healing to look loud, like breakthroughs and milestones. But most often, it’s found in the tiniest shifts.

• You sleep through the night and wake up without dread.
  

• You walk past a mirror and don’t flinch.
  

• You say “no” without guilt.
  

• You move your body because it feels good, not because you’re trying to earn rest.
  

• You cry and realize it’s not a breakdown, it’s a release.
  

These are sacred moments. Signs that you’re not just surviving anymore… you’re living.

Healing has no finish line. It unfolds on its own schedule, often slower than we’d like. There are setbacks. There are days you’ll feel like you’re back at the beginning. But those moments don’t erase the progress you’ve made, they’re just reminders that healing is layered. Complex. Alive. And so are you.

If you’re not there yet, that’s okay. Keep tending. Keep listening.  Keep softening. Feeling good again doesn’t come all at once, but it will come.

One breath at a time,

One choice at a time,

One small return to yourself at a time.

And when it does, you’ll know.

You didn’t force it.

You grew it.

From the inside out.

And that’s admirable. 

So admirable.

Keep going back to yourself.

Your needs.

Your heart.

Your mind.

Your body.

Your soul.

You will get there.

Stay Wild, Stay Rooted,

Courtney Nicole