There’s something almost ironic about “growth.” We talk about it as if it’s always about fixing what’s broken or transforming what’s not enough.

One most people overlook is that growth often begins with what’s already functioning well.

Connections are the threads that weave life together—relationships with our children, students, partners, colleagues, friends, and even ourselves. And just like habits, not all connections deserve to continue in the same form.

Here’s the truth: some relationships can energize us, and others can quietly drain us.

This is the part of winter no one talks about — the in-between. The space where you’re not closing the year anymore, but you haven’t stepped into the next one either.

It’s quiet, almost uncomfortably so, and it has a way of bringing up things you didn’t exactly schedule time for.