Today, I got a message from my younger sister on how tough a new project she is on has been. From enduring long work hours, to questioning her capacity or capability to follow through, and finally, her disloyal phone which fails her by going blank in crunch time.
I smiled as we exchanged messages, and reminded her about how excited she was on signing up to the project. “The start of a journey is filled with uncertainty, specifically as a filter, to take out the imposter. Nothing I say will take the uncertainty away. Keep going, and learn you go. This is the first valley, and maybe the most shallow one, use it to build muscle for whatever the future holds.” I offered.
We had some more conversations around unrelated topics, and promised to chat again tomorrow.
I also made a mental note on a gift she will appreciate – a new phone. That might even be the biggest frustration she is having, but for many reasons, she cannot say so directly.
I am thankful for beginnings, and the filters it presents, to separate those who need the path from those who are on it for the show.