A December Thought on Gratitude & Becoming

As the year closes, I’ve been thinking about the moments that changed us—not the loud ones, not the celebratory ones, but the quiet turning points most people never see.

The conversations that shifted something inside. The challenges that recalibrated our direction—the people who stood beside us without needing any spotlight. The small, steady steps that didn’t feel like progress at the time—but became the foundation for everything that will come next.

If this year revealed anything to me, it’s this: Growth doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it whispers.

It shows up as patience when frustration was easier. As clarity after a season of uncertainty. As the courage to release what no longer fits. As the humility to begin again, even when you thought you were further along.

We live in a world that measures everything by pace—how fast you rise, how fast you respond, how fast you achieve, build, or become.

But pace has never revealed the truth. Alignment has.

The more I paid attention, the more I realized that what truly matters is not how quickly we move, but how intentionally we decide where we’re going.

This year reminded me to anchor myself in the people I serve, the values that don’t shift with circumstances, and the impact I hope to leave behind long after the moment passes.

And that’s where gratitude lives for me now—not in outcomes or milestones, but in the clarity that comes from seeing who you’re becoming, even before the world does.

As we enter the last stretch of the year, here’s what I’m holding close:

Gratitude reveals direction. Purpose gives it shape. And alignment gives it strength.

What comes next isn’t about rushing forward. It’s about moving with intention, carrying the lessons that shaped us, and honoring the people who trusted us with their stories, their vision, and their hope for better communities.

I’m grateful for every unseen moment that brought me to this place—and even more grateful for the kind of person this next chapter is calling me to become.

— Jovan

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