The world feels real heavy lately. Maybe you’re feeling it too— exhaustion leaking in, the noise never quite quieting enough, the weight of uncontrollable things hanging on like an unwelcome piggy-backer you never invited for a ride.

Some days, no matter how much I’m pushing forward, I can hear the heavy dragging behind me, asking to be acknowledged.

Last week, I found myself completely drained by the unrelenting drama of news cycles, another bout with stupid Covid, travel fatigue, an unexpectedly disturbing parent email, unexplained surges of pain in my lower back, hormonal agitation…like I’m falling apart, like my body, my emotions, even the unexpected events around me, everything is telling me to slow the fuck down. So, this time, I didn’t fight it. I had to listen to every single sign and remember that I don’t ever have to carry so much.

But in the midst of it all, I believe there are things we all still need to hear.

So if no one has told you this lately, let me be the one to say it:

1. You Are Allowed to Slow Down.

Life is not a race, and there is no prize for burning yourself out. The world will constantly demand more—more productivity, more efficiency, more hustle—but rest is just as sacred as movement. Being tired is not weakness. Pressing pause doesn’t mean you’re failing. Healing, clarity, and purpose don’t come from running yourself into the ground. Slow down. Breathe. Let yourself be.

2. You Are Not Behind.

It’s easy to feel like everyone else has it figured out, like you’re somehow late to your own life. But the truth is, there is no single timeline for success, healing, or becoming who you’re meant to be.

I saw this documentary the other day about this super-mom vlogger and her millions of followers thought her life was perfect, and she was making bajillions of dollars, but she was a dictator in her own home and she totally twisted up her family and she ended up in prison for despicable acts of child abuse.

Please please remember that social media especially makes it look like everyone else knows what the fuck they’re doing while you feel like you’re always a few steps behind. Don’t believe any scrap of it. The only real measure of success and progress is how true you are being to yourself.

I’ve felt it so many times before—watching others seem to move effortlessly through milestones while I questioned if I was where I was supposed to be. But every time I took a step back, I realized I was measuring myself against someone else’s path, not my own. The things that mattered most to me—growth, connection, inner peace—were never on a deadline. You are exactly where you need to be right now.

3. Small Acts of Kindness Still Matter.

The world can feel overwhelming, like nothing you do is enough. But it’s not about fixing everything—it’s about the little moments. The kind words, the shared laughter, the generosity that no one sees. Every small kindness ripples outward in ways you may never fully understand. Keep showing up, even when it feels small. It’s never small.

In the past few weeks, the universe has put a few former students in my path who have generously reminded me that I am not invisible and what I do in this world matters. In those moments, I feel seen. Small gestures, the ones we often dismiss as insignificant, have the power to change someone’s entire day.

4. Let Go of What’s Weighing You Down.

I’ve definitely carried things longer than I needed to, convinced that if I held on just a little longer, something would change—someone would apologize, something would make sense.

I remember the exact moment when I realized I couldn’t carry it anymore—my body ached, my mind was exhausted, I wasn’t sleeping well, and all because I was holding onto something that wasn’t ever actually mine to hold.

At first, letting go felt like I was abandoning something that had defined me for so long. But I started breathing in new air and releasing the old stuff on each exhale. I felt lighter. Not instantly, not completely, but enough to know that my fucking freedom was waiting on the other side.

I carried the weight of betrayal and the shame of past mistakes longer than I ever needed to, waiting for some kind of resolution that was never coming.

And then my body started screaming at me to let go. The tension, the pain, the exhaustion—it wasn’t just physical. It was the weight of everything I refused to set down. Only when I truly decided to release it did I start to feel lighter, freer, like I was finally stepping into my own life again. Letting go isn’t instant, but it’s a choice you can make, one breath at a time.

That old anger, that past betrayal, that thing you keep replaying in your mind—it’s time to put it down. Not for them, but for you. Carrying it won’t change the past, and it won’t make justice come any faster. But releasing it? That’s freedom. And you deserve to be free.

5. You Are More Capable Than You Think.

You’ve survived things you once thought you couldn’t. You’ve started over, rebuilt, and kept going. And you will again. You are stronger than you realize, and you are still becoming.

So if no one has told you this lately, hear me now:

You’re doing better than you think.

Breathe.

Take the pressure off for a moment.

Let yourself just exist without the need to prove anything, fix anything, or rush anything.

You’re a work in progress and still worthy, still enough.

Take a deep breath.

Give yourself permission to pause, to reflect, to embrace the journey as it unfolds.

You are already more than enough.

Even on the days when you doubt it, even when the world feels loud and overwhelming, you are still here, still trying, still showing up.

And that is enough.