Progress:

 I’m learning to understand what progress looks like. Before I found success in tangible things like grades, trophies, fancy things like watches, cars, and clothes. In the end, those things only have the significant value because they have everyone’s approval and appreciation. So, our success is deep rooted in other people, making us seek other people’s approval in order to feel like we are doing a good job.

         Success in the form of learning and working through setbacks, a new perspective or understanding, finding another push of motivation, learning to grow-on-your-own, is self-success. These things compound over time, making this form of success more valuable than any tangible item.

         It’s easy to find success in tangible things, because they give instant satisfaction. Instant but not long term. That’s what keeps people chasing more money, more cars, and more problems.

         Patience is required to see success. So, when I was in a point of stagnant progress, it gave me the false sense of not getting anything done because I wasn’t seeing progress in tangible things. With this feeling of despair, I asked myself what progress have I made? I made a list of all the things that helped keep me going during that slow time.