Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share poetry and prose 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.

Today's piece is called How to Celebrate Your Journey No Matter What's Missing. If life is a journey, it's certain a rather complicated one,

filled with winding roads that wrap themselves around the path of steep hills, only to split into two paths

that leave you wondering which direction to go in next. And this is also true. Not all roads on this

path will be winding. Many roads will be smooth and well-traveled,

giving you permission to pace yourself through. Remember this when you can't help but notice

what's missing in your life, when life gets uninteresting or even boring. Remember this when you

feel like something more should be happening. Remember this when you're craving adventure and

excitement. There's a thrill that comes with new unknowns and reaching forks in the road that we often end up missing when the road evens out and we're just traveling through without gathering any new stories to tell.

But at the same time, the slower, less interesting moments give us space to breathe, space to pace ourselves when we were just

becoming accustomed to the rush of things. So if you're still craving adventure, if you're

craving something new, remember this, if life is a journey, it is also a circular one. It's a round trip that

continues over and over. You'll circle back to the adventure. You'll circle back to that feeling of

trying something new. Your heart will race again. When you've reached a slower part of the journey,

that doesn't mean you've reached the end. Keep going. You'll come back to the adventure again.

Traveling through desert plains or flatlands might not always feel as captivating as the path through the mountains or the canyons.

However, the only way you will arrive at those breathtaking views is by having the willingness

to travel the well-worn path beneath you. Pace yourself here. Slow down and trust. Light is still pouring in. You haven't

seen all there is to see. Use this space to breathe as you prepare to encounter all that lies ahead.

You don't have to carve out a new path every single day in order to live a

meaningful life. Those moments will come, but there will also be days that are ordinary and just fine,

and as the years go on, you might even forget about those days but every part of the

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