Letters to Myself: Entry Forty-Three
Prompt: What Do I Love About Myself?
This reflection takes this question and explores the ideas of patience. How one can move forward knowing they have the ability to morph their story, their own way. And not abiding to what others tell you either.
This is a powerful question.
For a long time, people are taught to avoid speaking about what they appreciate about themselves. It can feel uncomfortable, even arrogant. But the truth is that understanding what you love about yourself is part of understanding who you are.
And lately, I’ve realized there are many parts of myself that I am learning to appreciate.
Physically, mentally, and spiritually, I feel fortunate for the life and body I have been given. But what I value most is the effort I put into nurturing my inner life. Each day I try to feed my mind with ideas from the past; quotes, philosophies, reflections that shape my thinking and help guide my mindset. Those small practices slowly build something deeper inside.
I’ve been especially interested in intuition lately, the way our minds and instincts communicate with us. The more I read and reflect, the more I realize how much we can shape our own nature. We are not trapped by who we were yesterday. We can refine ourselves through awareness and discipline. But if there is one trait I truly love about myself, it is patience.
Learning patience has changed my life.
Patience allows you to slow down and actually absorb the world around you. It gives you the ability to listen, to reflect, and to process experiences rather than reacting to them immediately. When you slow down, you begin to understand situations more clearly, including your own emotions, reflection becomes possible.
Moments like this, sitting down and writing, are part of that patience. They allow me to examine the signals going off in my mind and better understand why I feel the way I do.
And through that process, you slowly become the person you hoped to be.
We often forget that every person on this planet is built differently. Our genetic makeup, our experiences, our environments; all of these shape who we become. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, we should appreciate our own uniqueness and work to understand it.
Too often, society tells us who we should be.
But real growth begins when you discover who you actually are.
That’s why patience matters so much today. We live in a reactive time; a world driven by constant updates, digital images, and endless comparisons. Social media pushes people to showcase every milestone of their lives: careers, homes, families, achievements.
If you aren’t careful, it can pull you into an endless cycle of comparison and distraction.
Without patience, you end up chasing everyone else’s timeline instead of building your own.
I see this everywhere now. People rushing through life, reacting quickly, scrolling endlessly, measuring themselves against others. But slowing down offers a different perspective. Patience gives you the ability to step back from the noise and think clearly about what truly matters.
And for me, that includes connection.
I love that I am still growing. I love that my writing is improving little by little. I love that I’m paying attention to my health and the way I treat my body. I love that I’m learning to value time with family and friends, because connection is one of the most meaningful parts of being human.
Most of all, I love the progress.
I’m here. I’m trying. I’m reflecting and building something within myself that didn’t exist before. The seed was planted long ago, but now I’m beginning to see it grow.
And that growth makes me excited for what comes next.
If there is one lesson I would leave with anyone reading this, it’s this: when you’re trying to understand life, start by looking inward. Your reactions, your thoughts, your emotions; these are the things you have the power to shape. When you begin to understand that, you start discovering parts of yourself you never noticed before.
And slowly, over time, you begin to love the person you are becoming.
This post is part of my "Letters to Myself" series — a weekly free-write blog where I explore personal growth, curiosity, and healing through simple prompts. Sometimes reflective, sometimes fun, but always real. Thank you for being here.
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Photo by Kyle Gare
