What the dragonfly whispers

Final message of the year

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“Nature does not rush, yet everything is accomplished.” - Lao Tzu

We’re in the final few days now and you may have already seen (or will see) highlight reels of people’s lives—goals achieved, places traveled, milestones reached, struggles overcome.

Social media and the stories people share can make it seem like everyone is racing ahead, ticking off accomplishments, living a picture-perfect life.

Realize two things:

• what you’re seeing is only a snapshot of their life, never their entire story.

• it’s ok if your year hasn’t been great, it’s only a chapter in your story.

It’s ok if this year felt like a battle you barely made through. It’s ok if your greatest accomplishment was simply surviving, waking up each day, and putting one foot in front of the other. There’s courage in simply choosing to live another day instead of quitting. It’s ok if all you did was hold on to hope in the midst of feeling lost.

There’s no rule that says every year has to be monumental. But we’re certainly made to feel like it has to be. Sometimes it’s just about learning how to hold on a little longer. Maybe this year was about recognizing that you deserve to be happy, that you’re allowed to honour your own needs. Maybe you learnt how to be a little more gentle with yourself. Maybe you learnt how to tune into your body more and really appreciate it for the first time. Maybe you recognised what makes you feel safe and what doesn’t—whose company you enjoy, and whose you don’t.

Life isn’t a race to be completed. There’s no finish line you’re required to reach by a certain time. Wherever you are right now, whatever your journey looks like, be proud of how far you’ve already come.

“Where you are now, God circled on a map for you.” - Hafiz

We often celebrate the transformative journey of a butterfly, yet the life of a dragonfly offers an equally profound metaphor for the human experience.

A dragonfly spends most of its life hidden in the water, as a nymph growing in the shadows. It molts over and over, shedding what no longer serves it, preparing for a transformation it cannot yet see. This long, unseen, submerged phase reminds us that much of our growth happens out of sight, in the depths of our personal struggles and experiences. It’s a time of preparation, even if we don’t yet understand what we’re being prepared for. If you’re in this phase, trust that it’s just as important as any milestone others may celebrate.

When the nymph is ready, it rises to the surface and sheds its exoskeleton, revealing a new beautiful new body and fragile new wings. But even then, it must pause, waiting for its wings to dry and strengthen before it can take flight. Transformation cannot be rushed. It takes courage to rise and patience to let yourself become who you are. Emergence takes time.

When the dragonfly finally soars, its time in the air is brief—just a few weeks to months. But in that time, it lives fully, bringing light and vibrancy to the world. It reminds us that life isn’t about how long we have or how much we achieve; it’s about how deeply we live, how gracefully we navigate each phase, and how brightly we shine, for the short while we are alive.

So, as this year comes to a close, I encourage you to honor all of your journey—even the hard parts, because its made you who you are today. Life isn’t about how quickly you cross the finish line. It’s about the depth of your experience and the grace you learn to show yourself along the way.

Remember. the journey is the destination.

If my words have resonated with you this year or helped you in some way, I humbly invite you to consider upgrading your subscription to paid as a way to show your support. It would mean the world to me as I pour my soul into each piece I share.

With love,

V

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