I’ve been thinking about this paradox lately how the longest way is almost always the shortcut.
It’s not sexy. It’s not viral. It’s not even all that exciting to talk about. But it’s the truth that keeps smacking me in the face every time I try to bypass it.
When we’re building a life that feels good not just looks good we can’t skip the slow, messy, unglamorous parts. The part where you have to wake up early to stretch instead of scrolling. The part where you meal prep even when no one’s clapping for you. The part where you say no to what’s fast and shiny, and yes to what’s honest and sustainable.
We live in a world addicted to hacks. Biohacks. Mindset hacks. Morning routine hacks. But some things? They’re not meant to be hacked. They’re meant to be lived through. Felt. Learned the long way. So they sink in deep.
Because what good is a shortcut if it takes you somewhere you don’t actually want to be?
I’ve taken shortcuts in relationships. In business. In my healing. And every single time, I ended up circling back to the same place: the beginning. The place where I should’ve just started slow, honest, and real.
The shortcut is trusting your nervous system to regulate at its own pace.
The shortcut is showing up even when no one notices, yet.
The shortcut is not skipping steps, but living them.
It’s learning how to love the climb. How to pause when it’s too much. How to listen to your own rhythms instead of grinding to someone else’s tempo.
So if you’re in a season right now that feels like it’s dragging… like nothing’s happening fast enough… like you’re behind?
You’re not behind. You’re building.
And the longer it takes to build, the more likely it is to last.
Keep going. The long way is the shortcut.
Sherri