“Little by little, one travels far.” — J.R.R. Tolkien

There’s nothing quite like New York in the winter.

Warm hats pulled low. Long coats brushing past each other on crowded sidewalks. Gloves that never quite keep your fingers warm enough. That first soft layer of snow seems to change the whole mood of the city. The air feels crisp, and most times you can see your breath — in, out — like the city is breathing with you.

Everything has a rhythm. Everyone has a role. Every little detail matters because together they form the whole scene that is unfolding.

And lately, I’ve been wondering what would happen if we treated our own growth the same way.

We’re so often hunting for the one thing that will finally fix everything. The breakthrough. The answer. The big leap. But how many times do we miss the quiet nudges, the flashes of insight, the tiny synchronicities that are already guiding us?

Do we really notice the snowflakes that create the blanket?

Do we slow down enough to collect the nuggets that are quietly shaping the bigger picture?

If not, don’t worry — me either. We’re human. Even when we know better, integrating it into real life is still a practice. And whether you’re someone who adapts to change at lightning speed or someone who feels like they’re still warming up at the starting line, you’re welcome here.

So let’s talk about what it looks like to let life unfold in its natural rhythm.

1. It takes the edge off — and helps you press the gas on what actually matters

When everything feels important, nothing really is.

We race through life like we’re playing Super Mario — jumping nonstop, grabbing coins, sprinting toward the flag at the top of the pole so we can crash into the next level and do it all over again. And while that pace feels productive, it also makes it almost impossible to recognize when we’re actually making progress.

If all we see is what isn’t happening fast enough, we miss the gold coins we’ve already collected.

That constant edge might look like ambition, but over time, it erodes resilience. It fogs up our thinking. It quietly slows us down.

Surrendering doesn’t mean giving up — it means choosing to focus on what truly matters:

• your energy,
• your integrity,
• and your ability to stay present with what’s in front of you while still holding your big vision.

Those three alone create more momentum than you realize.

2. It helps you see yourself, others, and circumstances more clearly

Clear vision creates understanding.
Understanding creates expansion.

When you stop fighting reality, you stop projecting meaning that doesn’t belong. You see people as they are — not as your fear paints them. You see situations for what they are — not for the story you inherited about them.

And that’s where real growth lives and expands.

3. It stops you from unknowingly sabotaging your own growth

Any effort you make is a success.

Let me say that again: any effort you make is a success.

“But what about failure?”
Is it really a failure if you learned something that helps you move forward differently next time?

So much of what we experience is filtered through our mindset. We assign meaning, often without realizing it. And when effort feels unfamiliar — when it doesn’t look like the old grind — we sometimes create thoughts or behaviors that pull us back into the very patterns we’ve already started to outgrow.

How often are we living in our heads instead of the moment, believing that whatever story is loudest in our mind must be true?

Surrender helps you notice that loop — and step out of it.

4. It sharpens your ability to identify unhelpful thoughts and emotions

As your practice of noticing deepens, patterns become visible.

You start to recognize which thoughts are supportive and aligned… and which ones are rooted in judgment, scarcity, and doubt. The noise doesn’t disappear, but you can finally hear the silence underneath it.

And in that silence, there’s clarity.

It’s the moment you realize, “Oh… I’ve been here before.”
Not in a defeated way — in a familiar way. Like spotting an old street you used to get lost on, only this time you know exactly where it leads.

Instead of reacting on autopilot, you pause. You get curious. You start asking better questions:

• Is this thought actually helping me?
• Is it rooted in fear, or in truth?
• Does it expand me — or shrink me?

That pause is everything. That’s the gap where freedom lives.

5. Acceptance doesn’t trap you — it gives you something to shape

When you accept what is, you can finally mold what is.

Instead of holding your life in resentment, you hold it lightly — with curiosity. You stop seeing only obstacles and start seeing opportunities. The same situation, but a completely different relationship to it.

One thing that’s helped me lately is this:
At the end of the day, I name three efforts I made — not results. Efforts.

Some days it’s small. Other days it’s messy. But it keeps me connected to the truth that growth isn’t singular. It’s layered. Like snow.

So today, on Christmas Eve, I invite you to slow down just enough to notice your own snowflakes.

Not everything has to change today.
But something small can.

And that’s more than enough. ❄️

Timestamp: 8:00 am PST

Written by: Grace Alexis