Encouragement for You
your year is not wasted - have you seen how far you have come?
New week, new letter! 🩷
Today’s newsletter is really a word of encouragement for anyone who feels like they have nothing to show for as the year has gone by. I hope you read this feeling lighter and are able to see your year from a different perspective.
🎙️For those who prefer listening, here you go!
No year is wasted, even the years that seem so mundane. For everyday we are here on earth, it is laced with purpose and meaning. There have been times where I have wondered to myself, where exactly am I going? Why has my journey unfolded in the way that it has? It got to a point where I started to see some of my days as wasted because I couldn’t see the end result. But I then realised, I am not wired to know everything that will happen in my life and why my story is unravelling in the way that it is. It is okay to not know, especially when we acknoweldge the one who knows, and we can trust His leading for our lives. We can choose to see and find the beauty in the seemingly mundane.
I understand, hard times may have come. Disappointments, setbacks, unexpected outcomes etc may have sprung up and you’re wondering, what do I really have to show for this year? Guess what, you have you to show for. The person you have become. The ways you may have grown and transformed from the inside out. Perhaps the outward transformation is not showing yet, but this doesn’t discount the growth and changes that have taken place.
Not all years are ‘loud’ years, and by this I mean, years that are decorated with accolades and recongition. Some are quiter. Some involve a reoreintation, where we unlearn who we thought we were and step into who we really are. Sometimes it may look like layers of ourselves are stripped back, as we realise, we were never really in step with God, but more so we were on this endless pursuit of more. With the endless pursuit only came with moving further away from who we are truly made to be and so this year, was the reset.
But remember this- your life is accounted for. Every experience. Every tear. Every victory and even the losses, none of it goes wasted.
To the person who feels like their year has been wasted, and nothing ‘major’ has happened for them, whilst it is okay to acknowledge your feelings, please remember that the value of our lives is not measured by ‘happenings’ or ‘doings’. Your life is not a showreel, there are nuances to your story. Not everything you may have passed through will look glamorous, or post-worthy, but this doesn’t make it wasted. Sometimes we overlook the significance of smaller changes such as:
intentionally going on a healing journey.
signing up for therapy.
becoming a better friend.
developing a stronger understanding of your identity outside of the crowd.
growing our relationship with God further.
unlearning people pleasing.
There are so many more examples I can give, but my point is, your year is not wasted because you don’t have a lot of external achievements to show for it. There are times and seasons. Achievements will come and go. There will constantly be a next level and more to achieve, but at the core of it all, who you have become is the most important aspect of our lives. When we become unshakeable and steadfast, even when the accolades come, they wouldn’t add or take to who we are already, as our identities will not be rooted in them.
This isn’t a newsletter to say in the next two months your life will suddenly change. Of course that can happen, but please don’t give into the end of year pressure to suddenly have everything on lock. Our core pursuit should be remaining in alignment with God. What is His focus for our lives? What do we need to prioritise for the rest of the year, and in preparation for the new year? Not by timelines, societal expectations, but more so, what is already written in store for us?
Maybe instead of leaning into the endless pressure to do more, attain more, achieve more, this is the time to go on a retreat and be away for a few days? A time to unplug from the noise and lean into what God is saying to you personally? Outside of the crowd, outside of what everyone else says you should be doing, who are you at the core? What are you really made to do at this point in time? This could look different for everyone, and I’d encourage you to go on a journey with God and find out what this looks like for you.
I shared more on my experience going on a personal retreat last year below:
If you’ve been weary, I pray this newsletter is a source of strength and encouragement to you. Your steps will be continually ordered by God as we continue to follow Him. This year may not have been easy. You may not have ticked off everything on your goal setting list, but I want to encourage you to pause and take stock of just how far you have come. You may not realise it, but you are not where you used to be. Progress has been made, but will you take time to realise just how far you have walked?
As we wrap up this newsletter, here are some journalling prompts to use:
How has your year been, really?
What is your measure of success? And where does it stem from?
Are there any experiences, you are still healing from?
Outside of societal expectations, how will you like to end your year?
What is an area of your life you have seen growth?
As always let me know how you find this newsletter
Share with someone who may need this! 💖
See you next week
Love,
Rhieme
Thank you so much
Hey Rhieme 😊
That God makes it to be that I could as well be going to the "market" when another is coming back is one of His greatest yet most underrated gift– uniqueness!
Thank you for portraying it so richly in this letter!
And yh, I'm looking forward to more.