Thank you. Yes, I’m talking to you.

You, my biggest fan, my eternal cheerleader, my sounding board, my shoulder to lean on, my fiercest critic, my loyal reader, my constant support system. My friend, my client, my colleague, my cohort.

I am so grateful for you.

You are there for me, thick and thin, giving me everything from hugs and kudos to Kleenex and cocktails, depending on where I’m at in my journey. You believe in me with a tenacity that I sometimes don’t even hold for myself, and encourage me to stay the course even as I’m wobbling and bobbling my way along on this journey toward building a thriving career. You give me valuable feedback, offer insights, share your perspective, and pose thoughtful questions that challenge me to think differently. You never allow me to shrink from myself: when I feel discouraged or frustrated, you remind me of my own uniqueness, of the value of my point of view, of my natural skills that I have forgotten that I own.

You have this amazing way of making me feel seen, recognized, and validated. You give me heart-felt compliments that I know aren’t just niceties you’re making up, but genuine acknowledgements of what you see in me, what you know to be true. You take a stand for me, knowing that my best self is still here, even if she’s gone into hiding for the moment. You fight for me, and don’t allow me to beat myself up when I’m feeling particularly poisonous.

And you also inspire me. You, who in theory it’s my work to serve—the truth is, you give to me much more, perhaps, than I give to you. I see you digging deep, keeping the faith, bravely turning your face into the tough decisions, doing the hard work of change, and diligently striving for growth, learning, self-awareness, self-acceptance. I’m moved by your depth, brilliance, and vulnerability. And guts, by god you’re brave!

Your faith in me is a dear treasure that fuels me in the tough times. Because there are times when I have felt like giving up: the work is hard, the successes come few and far between, the distance between where I want to go and where I am now seems too great to cross, and I wonder if I’ll ever get there. I have big dreams, and sometimes it’s hard to see traces of forward momentum.

I often think that building my business is a complete act of faith: faith that what I am doing will turn into the thing I’m aiming for, faith that the small actions I take will add up some day, faith that the work I do makes a difference, faith that I actually do have the right ingredients to make it work, faith that all of these seeds I’m scattering will someday take root and flourish. While some days are better than others, there are many many days where I think I’m just flailing in the dark, putting stuff out to the universe and never knowing what, if anything, might come of it.

And those are the days that I’m most grateful for you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.