TODAY, REMIND YOURSELF OF THE TRUTH:

In the end, all the small things you do make a big difference. Life isn’t about a single moment of great triumph and attainment. It’s about the trials and errors that slowly get you there—the blood, the sweat, the tears, and the small, inconsequential things you do on a day-to-day basis through a pandemic. It all matters in the end—every step, every regret, every decision, every setback and minuscule win.

Yes, the seemingly insignificant happenings add up to something. The minimum-wage job you had in high school. The evenings you spent socializing with coworkers you never see anymore. The hours you spent writing thoughts on a personal blog no one reads. Contemplations about elaborate future plans that never came to be. All those lonely nights spent reading novels and news columns and social media posts, questioning your own principles on life and sex and politics and religion, and whether or not you’re good enough just the way you are.

All of this has strengthened you. All of this has led you to every success you’ve ever had. All of this has made you who you are today. And all of this proves that you have the strength and resilience to deal with the present challenges in front of you. But first, you need to get your thinking straight.

Most of us stubbornly refuse to acknowledge and admit everything we've been through, and how these trials and errors have moved our lives forward. Don't do this to yourself today. Don't deny your story. Own your story and let it empower you! Change your thinking!

You've been through a lot—especially recently—and you've grown a lot too. Give yourself more credit for how far you've come, so you can step forward again with grace...

-Excerpt from Marc and Angel