Happy Monday night, friends,
How are you doing on this marvelous Monday night? Are you like me—winding down and getting ready to nestle into your cozy, comfy beds for (hopefully) a good night’s sleep?
Before I drift off, I wanted to stop by and chat for a moment, if that’s okay with you. I wanted to share something that’s been sitting on my heart tonight.
As you know, I’ve been working my booty off to get my new business up and running, and tonight was no different. I decided to take a masterclass on Canva.
Mistake.
Don’t get me wrong—the class was informative. But for my personality, I have to be careful with these free masterclasses. Most of the time, they’re designed to sell you the extended version, and tonight was no different. Great strategy, sure… but it’s also a hook. A hook that quietly makes you feel like you’re behind the 8‑ball when it comes to building your brand.
Tonight I found myself sitting in that familiar space between excitement and doubt—the place where I’m creating, posting, learning, showing up… and still wondering if any of it is moving fast enough.
I’ve been pouring myself into Pinterest, Instagram, Canva, masterclasses, ideas, plans, and dreams. And yet, there’s this quiet whisper that says, “Shouldn’t I be further along by now?”
But then something happened.
Over the last couple of days, a few simple messages found their way to me:
“I love reading your words.” “Love it girl. There’s no stopping you now.” “Very good, everyday brings new subject to you. That’s talent from the heart.” “Start the coffee clutch.”
And I realized… I’ve been measuring the wrong thing.
I’ve been looking at numbers, but people have been looking at me. I’ve been watching analytics, but readers have been watching my heart. I’ve been chasing growth, but growth has been happening quietly—in the way someone pauses long enough to say, “I love reading your words.”
Maybe the real progress isn’t in the speed. Maybe it’s in the connection. Maybe it’s in the way my words land in someone else’s day and make them feel a little less alone.
Maybe that’s the part that matters most.
And maybe that’s why I’ve been feeling this strange mix of pressure and comparison lately. Everywhere I look, someone is promising overnight growth, instant success, “100,000 followers in a month.” And even though I know better, some part of me still whispers, “Why not you? Why not now?”
This afternoon, I was texting my brother about backyard ideas—because apparently I can redesign an entire outdoor space in my mind every 48 hours. I sent him a picture of yet another idea, and he replied:
“LOL, you’re just like me, don’t know what you want.”
A few minutes later he added:
“Oh, I’m highly impatient yet very indecisive for sure, lol.”
I told him to stop describing me. He didn’t.
“Then when I make the decision I second guess that choice for a long time, lol.”
And I laughed, because I suddenly felt so seen. I told him we’re twins a couple decades apart.
But the truth is… he named the exact thing I’ve been wrestling with.
I’m impatient. I’m indecisive. I second‑guess myself. I want things to move faster. I want to know the “right” next step. I want clarity and momentum and certainty.
And yet—the people reading my words aren’t asking for any of that.
They’re asking for me. My voice. My honesty. My heart. My reflections. My becoming.
Maybe the pressure I feel isn’t coming from my path. Maybe it’s coming from the comparison.
Maybe the impatience isn’t a flaw. Maybe it’s a sign that I care deeply about the life I’m building.
And maybe the indecision isn’t confusion. Maybe it’s the tenderness of someone who wants to choose well.
And maybe that’s the real lesson tucked inside today—not about algorithms or growth curves or how fast I’m building my platforms, but about the way we’re all wired with these little quirks that make us who we are.
My brother and I laughed about being impatient, indecisive, second‑guessing twins separated by a couple of decades. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized how comforting it is to have someone who mirrors you. Someone who says, without saying it, “You’re not the only one who feels this way.”
Maybe that’s why those messages from readers hit me so deeply. Maybe that’s why their words felt like a hand on my shoulder.
Because sometimes what we need most isn’t a strategy or a masterclass or a promise of overnight success. Sometimes what we need is a reminder that we’re not walking alone. That someone out there understands our pace, our doubts, our heart, our becoming.
And maybe that’s the quiet beauty of connection—whether it’s a sibling who shares your wiring, a friend who gets your heart, or a reader who pauses long enough to say, “I love reading your words.”
So tonight, I’m choosing to trust the slower path. The human path. The one built on real connection instead of quick results. The one where growth isn’t measured in numbers, but in moments like these—where someone sees you, and you see yourself a little more clearly because of it.
And maybe that’s a good question to end on:
Who in your life reflects something true about you—something you needed to remember tonight?
🦋 Love Life++ Hugs
Dawna — may the butterflies remind you that we are all still becoming
Love Life with Dawna 