Healing Isn’t Linear

“Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.”

— Jack Kornfield 

Let’s just start with this:

Healing isn’t a straight line. It’s more like a toddler’s drawing of a rollercoaster—with snacks spilled on it.

Seriously. One minute you're feeling clear, grounded, and full of insight… the next you're ugly crying over a coffee commercial and wondering why the sound of someone chewing sends you into orbit. (Just me?)

If you've ever thought, "I should be over this by now" or "Why am I still dealing with this stuff?" — this one’s for you.

We tend to think of healing like it’s some perfect before-and-after story. Like, first there’s pain, and then there’s a glow-up.

But in real life?

Healing is messy.

It’s nonlinear.

It’s full of revisits, detours, and emotional plot twists.

It doesn’t follow a tidy little roadmap.

You don’t hit “Step 4: forgiveness” and suddenly feel at peace forever. Sometimes you feel like you're making progress, and the next day you're face-first in a bag of chips wondering why you’re spiraling again.

You know those moments when it feels like you’re back at square one? Thinking “Wow, I’m finally over that” and then finding yourself sobbing in the car. AGAIN.

Yeah. That kind of healing. But that doesn’t mean you're failing. That means you’re human.

Let’s ditch the idea that healing has to “look” a certain way. That it means being calm all the time or having nothing left to process.

Honestly? Some of the most healed people still have bad days, still make mistakes, and still have moments when they cry in the bathroom.

Healing isn’t about reaching a place where nothing hurts. For most of us, it’s a mix of breakthroughs and breakdowns and learning how to feel it all—without falling apart every time.

This week, as we close out the Rooted & Rising series, let’s talk about the messy, often confusing, sometimes hilariously awkward process of healing yourself—emotionally, mentally, even spiritually. The kind where you’re trying to grow but also… just trying to get through the day without losing it in the school pickup line.

5 Quick Q-Tips When You Feel Stuck in the Loop

1. Treat yourself like someone you love.
   If your best friend was hurting, would you rush her through it or hold space for her mess? Do the same for you.

2. Notice without judgment.

   Instead of, “Ugh, why am I like this?” try, “Oh hey, there’s that feeling again. What’s it trying to tell me today?”

3. Celebrate the small wins.

   You took a nap instead of doom-scrolling? You said no without an essay of justification? That’s healing, baby.

4. Let it be boring sometimes.

   Not every part of healing is a deep, transformative revelation. Sometimes it’s just drinking water and showing up to therapy.

5. Remember: time doesn’t do the healing. You do.

   Time helps, sure. But it’s what you do with that time—how you rest, reflect, forgive, and learn—that actually moves the needle.

If you’ve been following this Rooted & Rising series all month, first of all—thank you. You’ve held space for big emotions, stretched into discomfort, and (hopefully) found a few tools or truths that made you feel less alone.

This week, I just want to remind you that healing isn’t a race. There’s no deadline. You’re not behind. You're not too much. You're not broken.

You are simply becoming.

And even if that looks like one step forward, two steps sideways, and a nap under a blanket of doubt—you’re still moving. You’re still healing.

And that matters.

So take a deep breath. You don’t have to have it all figured out to be healing. You just have to keep showing up. Imperfectly. Honestly. Softly.

Because even when the growth is quiet, you’re still rising.

WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW THAT
WE LOVE OURSELVES.

NEED AN ENCOURAGEMENT?
WE GOT YOU!