Moving Forward Does Not Mean The Same Thing For Everyone

It’s okay to take your time moving forward.

Moving forward will not mean the same thing for everyone. We all have our own ways we need to heal, and all of us carry our pain and our memories differently. What works for one person could be a nightmare for someone else. If you are not the one healing, you do not get to decide how the healing takes place. You must move forward at the pace that feels right for you and in the ways that build you up from your devastation, rather than drag you down even further.

Sometimes moving forward means that we need to permanently let go of the things that are weighing us down. We need to let go of those that hurt us and the painful words they shared with us. We need to let go of the opportunities that didn’t work out how we wanted them to. We need to let go of the people we thought we should be by now so that we can make room for who we are instead.

If it hurts you, then why do you try so hard to keep it with you?

I promise that you do not deserve to hurt, even if someone else has tried to convince you otherwise. You did not deserve the abuse and the pain inflicted on you, so please stop trying to convince yourself that you do. You don’t have to carry that pain as a punishment. You deserve to move forward without it.

Certain moments and memories from our lives are just so heavy. It’s okay to set them down. Moving forward doesn’t have to mean leaving everything behind. Sometimes, we just need a short break. We need to rest.

Some memories are heavy because they are so full of good moments that they are bursting at the seams with times we want to be able to look back on and cherish forever. Even the good things can be heavy. Sometimes, remembering the good things can hurt just as badly as remembering all of the things that hurt you. It’s okay to set the good memories down, too. It’s okay to give your mind and your heart a break. It’s okay if some days you just want to breathe. You deserve to rest. You deserve to recharge. You deserve to let yourself walk away from whatever you need to walk away from for as long as you need to.

Some of the best advice I have ever received was that just because you choose to go one way for a little while doesn’t mean you can never pursue anything else. A path is just a stepping stone, not your final destination.

Your life is a journey. Your healing is a journey. What you choose to put down and release yourself from today might make room for something magical to enter your life tomorrow. Never feel like taking a break makes you a failure. Rest is not and will never be synonymous with failure. No matter how much anyone ever tries to convince you otherwise.

If something is weighing you down, making you feel uncertain, or is simply a reminder of a time you just don’t want to think about right now, set it down and walk away. Breathe. Reevaluate. And most importantly, rest.

What you need will always be there when you’re ready.

Always.