With Elena Prill
I find there’s something about the arrival of summer that invites us to slow down, even if only for a moment. The days stretch a little longer, and we might spend more time outside. Maybe there’s a vacation on the calendar, or we simply have the hope of a few moments spent in the garden, at the beach, or around a table with loved ones.
At its best, summer offers a brief pause from the pace of everyday life. And I find it’s in these moments that we often notice what has been sitting just beneath the surface. Maybe it’s gratitude. Or maybe it’s the exhaustion you’ve been pushing through for months. Or sometimes, you might feel the weight of realizing that life isn’t happening quite the way you thought it would.
This could be because you’re facing a change you didn’t choose. A relationship has ended, your health has shifted, you’ve lost a loved one, or a career path that once felt right no longer fits. But it also happens when we strive for something we truly want. We go back to school, try to grow our family, pursue meaningful work, or make room for a new relationship in our lives. Even positive change can bring uncertainty, disappointment, and moments when we wonder whether things will ever unfold the way we’d hoped.
While these experiences are so human, many of us respond by turning inward in self-criticism. We tell ourselves we should be coping better. We should have figured it out by now. We should be positive, strong, productive…
And while those thoughts may be familiar, they certainly don’t make our struggles easier to carry.
One of the things I continue to learn, both personally and professionally, is that growth doesn’t always come from pushing harder. Sometimes, it begins with letting go a little. When we stop measuring ourselves against what we think we should feel or do, we create room for something genuine to emerge. We reconnect with our values and notice what truly needs our attention (hint to all my fellow overachievers: it’s usually not on your “to-do” list). And we might begin to move forward, not because we’ve forced ourselves to, but because we’ve created the nurturing conditions for growth.
Like the arrival of each season, growth and change have their own timing. They can’t just be forced. But even when life feels uncertain, difficult, or stuck, I believe that change is still possible. Sometimes the most important first step is simply allowing ourselves to be where we are.
