Fortitude in the Face of Change

I was reading an old issue of Magnolia magazine from a couple years ago. It was the fall issue and the theme was: fortitude. As I'm reading through it I am wondering what fortitude looks like for me so far this year. 

It's funny. I know there are many times when I have pushed through something that I found to be mentally or physically difficult but I can't really name a specific time. Even our triumphs we tend to glaze over as not that important, not worth remembering, and I don't want that to be my life. 

When someone asks me, "What are you proud of?" or "What have you accomplished?" I don't want to fall silent. I want to recognize my worth and fortitude in moments when I could have easily chosen to give up or stop. When it would have been easier to remain comfortable rather than see what I could become. 

I know that the potential inside me is great, and that can be a little terrifying. So, where do I find the fortitude to keep going, to grow and change and evolve? I find it in the people around me who love and support me. I find it in people in the wider community who inspire me and encourage me to follow that unknown path. I also find it within myself; looking around and seeing all that I have already done, in knowing and feeling my own self-worth and capabilities. 

A big part of that is recognizing that we are not perfect and that we learn the most when we make mistakes. I think that fortitude comes from the confidence that we learn to see in ourselves through experience, and the only way to get some experience is to do. 

I created a support system outside myself as well as doing the inner work necessary to be the kind of person I want to be and live the kind of life I want to live. Have I reached my version of paradise yet? Not even close, but I know that it is within reach and every day can be a stepping stone on that path towards a life I can point to and say, with a smile of satisfaction, "Yeah, I did that."