Good morning.
I'm Susan Guttridge,
And I'm grateful to be starting the day with you.
It's an honor to share these few minutes together.
As we begin,
You might be just waking up,
So take a moment to stretch your body in whatever way feels good.
Breathing renewed energy into each of those sleepy body parts.
And take a slow,
Steady breath in,
Letting it all go.
If it's okay,
Put a hand on your chest,
Just noticing how it rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
Feel yourself starting to arrive in this day just as you are.
For your morning inspiration today,
I want to share a quote from Maya Angelou,
A poet,
Author,
And overall beautiful woman.
She wrote,
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly,
But rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.
For me,
These words speak to the often overlooked process behind personal growth.
Like the butterfly,
It's easy to admire someone's transformation without fully seeing the struggle that made it possible.
And sometimes,
We even look at others and feel we should already be where they are.
But we forget to notice or acknowledge the small steps,
The steps forward and back,
The setbacks,
The quiet moments of courage that brought them to where they are.
So for today,
I invite you to take a moment to honor your journey.
Maybe you don't feel like the butterfly yet,
And that's okay.
Even the cocoon is part of the beauty.
If you're still becoming,
Still trying,
Still showing up,
Then transformation is already happening.
And if you feel envy or discouragement when you see someone else thriving,
Please let that feeling be a gentle nudge toward compassion for yourself and for them.
Can you quietly offer a word of gratitude?
They're showing you what's possible,
What you're moving towards.
Let it inspire you and fill your heart with hope for what this life can offer you as well.
Remember,
Their journey wasn't easy either,
And I'm sure at times neither is yours.
Such is this human life of ours.
So I invite you to extend grace to yourself and to others for being in whatever stage of becoming you're in.
You are not behind.
You are on the path.
Just like the butterfly,
Your transformation is unfolding.
Often quietly,
Sometimes messily,
Sometimes a little paused,
But always with purpose.
Thank you for listening and for sharing a few moments with me this morning.
Be well today.
