Hello and welcome, Reader!

Some people celebrate every milestone with fireworks. I’m not one of them.

I’ve always been better at moving forward than pausing. Even when something big happens, I tend to rush into the next task instead of stopping to breathe it in.

But lately, two very different experiences reminded me how wrong that habit can be — and how life has its own way of nudging us to pause, notice, and celebrate our growth.

When success feels “not enough”

Recently, I created and launched two new tracks of change with not one, but two cohorts (!). These are online courses for people ready to change their careers and lives — The Next Chapter Journey — a project I built together with my good friend and partner.

The work was meant for a bigger team, yet somehow, the two of us managed to carry it through. All within just two weeks. Two weeks of intensity, efforts, and late nights.

Was I grateful? Absolutely. To everyone who joined us, and to those who shared our work with their friends. Did I feel like celebrating? Honestly… not really. I felt… flat. Exhausted. And in my mind, the fact that most participants were already part of my circle didn’t feel like a “real” success yet. I wanted strangers discovering my work for the first time, new faces, and proof that the idea could stand on its own.

Celebration? Somehow, it felt undeserved.

Finding celebration right where I stand.

Then came another lesson, one I couldn’t ignore.
A while back, I had written affirmations about travel, luxury hotels, and standing at a high window, looking down at the city in awe. One of those lines was: “I attract miracles into my life”.

Last week, in the midst of my work and in need of some rest, I decided to get a membership at the Radisson Blu here in Tbilisi, where I live. The membership included the spa, relaxing zones, even gift massages. One day, I was standing at the window of the 18th-floor pool, gazing at the breathtaking view of the city. And suddenly, I realized: this was the vision. I was living the dream I’d once only written about.

That moment didn’t just feel like a gift — it was a reminder.
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Celebration isn’t about waiting until everything looks perfect or feels finished. It’s about recognizing the milestones and miracles along the way.

Some are messy and hard-earned, like launching a program with too little time and too few hands. Others are unexpectedly graceful, like standing in a place you once only imagined.

Both are worth pausing for. Both are worth celebrating.

One gentle prompt

Help someone take their first step toward change

If you know a friend or colleague who tends to power through without pausing, share this letter. Sometimes the first change isn’t about action. It’s about recognizing the moment worth celebrating.

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Next Wednesday I will share more stories about how changes work in practice, both for me and for the first participants of the Pathfinder and Pioneer Tracks.

Elena

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