This Has Served Me Well Already and I’m Here for It
A mindset shift for when life feels delayed, heavy, or off track.
A reflection pulled from Lesley’s Lessons Podcast — for the moments when you need to shift, not force.So I wanted to talk to you today about sometimes we’re faced with difficult times… or it’s just mundane.
Things are taking longer than we feel it should.
We’re not getting the results that we believe we deserve.
And we just get tired of it.
And I came up with something that I call:
this has served me well already and I’m here for it.
It’s Not Pressure. It’s Peace.
This mantra that I came up with really was like a bow to tie up life’s circumstances with the direction that I intend to go and the standard that I have for myself.
It’s not about applying this ridiculous pressure.
It’s about landing smoothly in my mind, regardless of whatever is happening in the world.
When It Happens Again…
Sometimes the things that are happening to you are happening for your greater good.
But in the moment, it doesn’t feel like that.
It feels like:
this already happened.
I did everything to avoid this.
I learned the signs.
I protected myself.
I said the right things—or didn’t say anything at all…
…and it still happened.
And now I’m back in a place I didn’t expect to be after all this time.
The Shift Isn’t Out There
It’s been five summers… and it just feels so cold.
Nothing has changed.
And that’s when it hit me—
sometimes it’s how we look at things.
A simple shift.
I know it sounds easy, but we have to get out of our own way and try it another way.
Imagine you’re driving and you missed your exit.
You can go to the next one.
You can turn back around.
But people panic…
because they think that was the only way.
What If the “Wrong Turn” Is the Magic?
They can’t imagine what’s on the other side if they ended up somewhere they didn’t expect.
But sometimes…
that’s exactly where the magic is.
You vs. The World
Everyone loves you.
Everyone likes you.
But what do you like?
What’s burning inside of you?
What haven’t you released to yourself?
What are you telling yourself when no one else is speaking?
You Feel the Truth First
Sometimes we have people or situations in our lives and something just feels… off.
Neutral.
Not safe.
Like you have to watch what you say.
Watch what you do.
And deep down, you know:
I’m not really getting what I’m giving.
You feel when you’re welcome.
You feel when you are seen.
You feel when you’re valued.
But real value…
it starts within.
And once you see your own value, everything shifts.
Who you attract.
How people respond.
Who quietly falls away.
Stop Sacrificing Your Joy
Can you really afford to let your joy be sacrificed for someone who can’t even see the spark in your eye?
Who can’t root for you?
Better yet—
why aren’t you rooting for yourself?
Sometimes we think life has to be struggle after struggle.
But it doesn’t.
And just because you have more challenges than someone else…
doesn’t mean life is setting you up for doom.
What if you just shifted how you see it?
What if your fear is amplifying something that isn’t even that deep?
What if it’s just a task—
something you handle…
check off…
and still have the rest of your day?
Permission
Sometimes it’s that simple.
Giving yourself permission to say:
this is not worth stealing my joy.
Not this relationship.
Not this energy.
Not this performative loyalty.
Not this performative job.
Not at the cost of what makes my heart beat…
and puts a smile on my face.
You Don’t Need Their Approval
Not someone saying:
you look beautiful
you still got it
you can do it
I’m proud of you
No.
No matter where you are…
no matter how stuck you think you are…
you are exactly where you’re supposed to be.
The Mantra
this has served me well already and I’m here for it.
Just say that.
Try it.
You say it even if you don’t feel it.
Even if you don’t believe it.
Even if it sounds ridiculous.
And watch what happens.
You’ll start to see the shift.
The way you look at things.
Your posture.
The ease that comes over you.
That calm confidence where you realize—
you don’t have to perform.
You just have to shift your perspective…
a little more inward.
A little more into yourself.
And you’ll start to see what I see in you:
this has served you well already.
And I’m here for what is yet to come for you.
Books by Lesley D. Nurse
Lesley D. Nurse is the author of transformative self-development books including This Power Is Mine, Not Yours, The A to Z Guide to Joy, Breathe: Whispers from the Deep, Bravery Unleashed, and The 365 Days of Progress. Her work blends reflection, clarity, and personal power to help readers reconnect with themselves and move forward with intention.
