Season of Gratitude

My life has always been goal-oriented, structured, and fast-paced. I’ve been driven for as long as I can remember, constantly working toward the next thing. It’s one of my favorite qualities about myself… and also one of the hardest. It’s a strange feeling to be deeply grateful yet somehow still unsatisfied. That probably sounds negative, but what I really mean is: there is always more.

More to learn.
More space to grow.
More ways to stretch, improve, and evolve.

I’m incredibly grateful for where I am right now, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about who I want to become next. I love my drive and sometimes I resent it, especially when it pulls me out of the present moment. There is so much I’m proud of, so much I’m thankful for, but the pressure to keep growing can blur what’s right in front of me.

I’m twenty-two, and everyone keeps telling me “the world is at your fingertips,” yet somehow I feel like I’m running out of time. It’s confusing, and honestly, I’ve caught myself missing life while trying so hard to build it.

So I’m choosing to put an end to that.
And if even one sentence of this resonates with you, take this moment with me.

I am grateful for everything that’s brought me here.
The good, the bad, the in-between.
Every experience has given me something I needed, and I’m lucky to be here, exactly where I am, learning from each new day.

Strong Girls United has been the greatest blessing of this chapter. It has given me a new team, a new purpose, and a new kind of belonging. I see so much of myself in the girls we get to support and in our runners who take on something as massive and inspiring as a marathon. I’m grateful to be a resource for them, just as they continue to inspire me.

Take a moment today to be grateful.
Hug someone you love.
Text a friend.
Journal.
Do whatever feels right for you.

And just so you hear it clearly:
I’m grateful you exist.

- Nicolette