Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper-Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share words that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead. Thanks for being here today. And now on to today's episode.

Let yourself be soft. Take your time easing into new things. You are allowed to give new experiences time before they become beautiful to you.

This is a poem that I wrote inspired by dragonflies.

And this is a piece of prose that I wrote to accompany it.

Oftentimes, when we are pushed out of our comfort zones, a piece of prose that I wrote to accompany it.

Oftentimes, when we are pushed out of our comfort zone, it's anything but beautiful.

We feel the strain of our new environment as we struggle to find new rhythms.

Whether you're leaving behind a relationship or a community you used to belong to,

or you're moving to a new city, or entering into a new field, entering into something new can be a struggle. One thing we have to remember is that it is okay for us to ease into newness.

Many of us are familiar with the metamorphosis that a butterfly must go through in order to come to life.

However, a little lesser known is the metamorphosis of

the dragonfly, which is called an incomplete metamorphosis. And it doesn't have as many stages as the

metamorphosis of, say, a butterfly. However, there's this part of the dragonfly's growth

that I believe is a beautiful image worth holding on to. As a dragonfly leaves its exoskeleton

to embrace its full form, it is still very soft as it gets ready to take on the world around them.

Dragonflies are known for their strong, brilliant colors and the vivacious, consistent rhythmic flapping of their wings,

and yet, when they finally come to be, after leaving behind the skeleton of who they were,

there is this moment of softness that is a natural part of transitioning into what we know

as a dragonfly. When the dragonfly enters this new world, its body is soft. It takes time to ease into this new space. When it comes to leaving your comfort zone, I hope you can do the same. I hope that you can let yourself be soft. Take your time easing into new things. You are allowed to give new

experiences time before they become beautiful to you. You are allowed to move softly and slowly

in this new space. You're going to grow in this new space exactly how you were meant to.

There is no need to rush. You are allowed to ease your way into new beginnings.

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