Welcome back to The Inspired Edit, and welcome to the middle of December — that strange, tender space where the year starts asking us to look back and look forward at the same time.

This month’s theme is Shine Bright, and this week we’re focusing on something we don’t do nearly enough: celebrating the version of ourselves who is standing here right now. Not the future version. Not the “once I get it together” version. This one.

Inside today’s newsletter, we’re talking about grace, growth, and the quiet wins that prove you’re changing — even when life throws a curveball or your plans go sideways.

So grab your coffee, take a breath, and let’s honor the progress you’re living in real time.

You deserve that.

Oh! And by the way, I have a really big announcement!
I will share it with you next week.
You are really going to want to see this!

This morning (Saturday), I was off to an amazing start. I brewed my coffee. Made myself breakfast. Enjoyed both while they were still delightfully hot. My mind was buzzing with creative ideas for Inspired Chapter — plotting, planning, developing. It felt good. Productive. Grounded.

I even did the dishes before my spa shift.
You know… that kind of morning.

Then I got into the shower, completely relaxed and enjoying myself, when suddenly — BAM — it hit me.

I had to open at the spa.
I was going to be late.

There is truly nothing like a peaceful morning being interrupted by the realization that you are, in fact, human — and you forgot a responsibility.

But here’s the part that matters.

Instead of spiraling, beating myself up, or mentally begging for forgiveness (read: groveling), I accepted the situation. I moved quickly but calmly. I sent a message to the work chat explaining what happened and that I was on my way. I got out the door, drove like a law-abiding citizen, and arrived before the first employee needed access to the spa.

Crisis averted.
No panic.
No tears.
No driving like someone who just robbed a bank.

That’s the person I am now.

Did it bother me that I forgot? Of course.
But I gave myself grace. I allowed myself to be human. I acknowledged the mistake and corrected it in the calmest, most self-honoring way possible.

That wasn’t me six years ago.
If I’m being honest, that wasn’t me six months ago.

And that growth?
That is worth celebrating.

Big transformations and tiny shifts alike deserve recognition — because you are worth celebrating exactly as you are right now.

And so am I.

Growth isn’t just about who you’re becoming—it’s about honoring who you already are.

So often, we postpone celebration.
We tell ourselves we’ll be proud later—when we’re calmer, more healed, more organized, more confident, more “together.” We keep moving the finish line, believing that growth only counts once we arrive somewhere permanent.

But here’s the truth:
Growth doesn’t happen in the arrival. It happens in the moment you respond differently than you once did.

Growth looks like pausing instead of panicking.
It looks like grace instead of self-attack.
It looks like solving a problem without turning it into a character flaw.

That calm response you had this week?
That was growth.
That self-respect you showed yourself?
That mattered.
That moment where you chose compassion over criticism?
That’s worth celebrating.

We don’t talk enough about the quiet wins—the internal shifts no one claps for. The moments where you didn’t fall apart the way you used to. The situations that once would have spiraled, but now… didn’t.

Those moments are evidence.
Evidence that you’re healing.
Evidence that your nervous system is learning safety.
Evidence that your self-love practice is actually working.

Celebrating yourself doesn’t mean pretending you’re done growing.
It means acknowledging that this version of you is already worthy of appreciation.

So this week, don’t wait for some imaginary future version of yourself to show up before you offer praise.
Celebrate the you who handled things better.
The you who stayed calm.
The you who kept going.
The you who is learning, changing, and showing up differently than before.

That version deserves recognition—right now.

Take a few minutes this week to reflect on the growth that doesn’t always get acknowledged—the kind that happens internally and often goes unnoticed.

Ask yourself:

You don’t need to minimize your progress because it wasn’t dramatic.
Quiet growth still counts.
And it’s worth celebrating.

That moment in the shower could have gone very differently.

There was a time when realizing I forgot something important would have sent me straight into panic mode. My chest would tighten. My thoughts would race. I would mentally punish myself the entire drive, replaying the mistake over and over, convinced it said something terrible about who I was.

But that’s not what happened this time.

Instead, I paused.
I accepted reality.
I did what needed to be done—calmly, responsibly, without tearing myself apart in the process.

And afterward, I noticed something important:
I felt proud of myself.

Not because I handled it perfectly—but because I handled it differently.

That’s the kind of growth I used to overlook. I thought growth had to be loud or dramatic to count. I thought it had to come with a big breakthrough moment. But now I see it clearly: growth often shows up in how gently you treat yourself when things don’t go as planned.

This version of me doesn’t spiral.
She doesn’t shame herself into submission.
She fixes what she can and moves forward with dignity.

And that version of me deserves to be celebrated.

Not someday.
Not “when I have it all together.”
But now.

Because this version is real.
She’s earned her softness.
And she’s worth honoring exactly as she is.

I’m still reading Mindset by Carol Dweck, Ph.D., and this week it landed in a very personal way. One of the ideas that keeps surfacing is that growth isn’t about being flawless — it’s about learning, adapting, and responding differently over time.

That’s exactly what this week reminded me of.

A growth mindset isn’t loud. It doesn’t demand perfection. It quietly notices when you handle something better than you once would have and says, “See? You’re learning.”

Reading this alongside my own experience helped me recognize that progress isn’t measured by never making mistakes — it’s measured by how you treat yourself when you do.

And that’s worth celebrating.

As we move deeper into December, I wanted to offer you something simple, supportive, and aligned with everything we’ve been talking about this month — celebrating growth, choosing light, and honoring where you are right now.

For a limited time, you can use the code:

for 15% off everything on Inspired Chapter

This code is valid now through midnight on December 24th and can be used on:

✨ Patchlings – handmade companions full of comfort and encouragement
✨ Signed copies of 365 Days of I Am Statements
✨ Guided Journal Packages
✨ All Courses

Here’s what to know so there are no surprises:

Whether you’re gifting something meaningful to someone you love — or choosing something supportive for yourself — this is a gentle invitation to take the next step in a way that feels good and intentional.

👉 Give Yourself the Gift of Self-Love This Year! 🎁 Shop Now

You’re allowed to invest in the version of yourself that’s already growing.

Before you rush into the rest of your week, take a moment to acknowledge something important:

You are not the same person you used to be.

Even if the change feels subtle.
Even if it happened quietly.
Even if no one else noticed.

Growth isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it shows up as calm where there used to be panic, grace where there used to be shame, and self-respect where there used to be self-criticism.

Let yourself recognize that.
Let yourself feel proud of that.

You don’t need permission to celebrate who you are becoming — especially when that growth is happening right now, in real time.

If no one has told you this yet today, let me be the one:

You’re allowed to be proud of yourself right now.
Not after you fix everything.
Not once you hit some imaginary milestone.
But exactly as you are — learning, growing, showing up, and doing the best you can.

Celebrate that version of you.
She’s earned it.

Never Forget...

Much Love,
Lady Misty Gebhart