There’s a moment that happens after insight, and it’s easy to skip over. You can see who you want to become. You can hear how your future self would talk to you. And then you look at your life as it actually is right now. That space in between is the gap. Most people either pretend it isn’t there or feel bad that it exists at all. Neither helps. The gap isn’t a problem. It’s information. Necessity is about being honest about where you are, without making it mean you’re failing. It’s noticing, “This is how I’m thinking. This is how I’m acting. And this is where I want to be instead.” The work today isn’t to close the whole gap. That’s overwhelming and unrealistic. The work is to choose the next step that moves you a little closer to here to there. One conversation. One boundary. One habit. One decision you’ve been avoiding. Small steps count when they’re aligned. �� What’s one next step that would move you closer to who you want to become or what you want to accomplish, even if it feels simple?

When I teach affirmations, I don’t mean repeating something you don’t believe and hoping it sticks. What I mean is this. There is a version of you who has already done the things you want to do. She figured it out. She followed through. She handled the hard days. She didn’t quit on herself. She became who you’re working toward. And here’s the part we forget. She didn’t get there by talking to herself the way you talk to yourself on your worst days. She doesn’t panic every time something feels uncertain. She doesn’t tear herself down when things move slower than expected. She doesn’t question her worth every time she has to learn something new. So today isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about borrowing her voice. When something feels uncomfortable, ask yourself, “How would the version of me who has already figured this out speak to herself right now?” Then try using that tone today. Bring her confidence into this moment. Right where you are. Before everything is done. �� What is one sentence your future successful self would say to you today?

Loving yourself starts with clarity, and clarity requires honesty. It’s kind of like driving with a dirty windshield. You can still move forward, but everything looks slightly distorted. You second-guess. You strain. You miss what’s actually right in front of you. Many driven women say they love themselves, but their self-talk tells a different story. Pressure instead of permission. Criticism instead of compassion. Achievement instead of acceptance. Clarity asks this simple but confronting question. If the way you speak to yourself were visible, would it look like love? Self-love begins the moment you stop pretending you are fine with things you quietly resent or tolerate within yourself. �� Where do you notice a gap between how you expect yourself to perform and how you actually support yourself?