Two forward, one back

Moving homes over the last month was hectic: some days I handled things well; other days, not so well.

If you asked me how I was feeling on the most challenging days, I would tell you without hesitation that I was regressing — certain that things would fall apart, and that my ability to manage stress was become worse not better.

But then on other days, often the day following a tough day, I would surprise myself by how well I managed to juggle all the things that needed to be done.

It’s only in hindsight that I can confidently say that my ability to regulate my stress has improved.

Sometimes locating optimism about the person we are becoming is a matter of adjusting your time horizon: if you’re hoping to make drastic improvements in a matter of days, you might be discouraged.

But if you adjust the time period to weeks, months, and years and sum the difference between all of your ups and downs — you may be surprised by how far you can come in that time.