It’s been 90 days since I went to Storyline in San Diego. About 88 days ago, I wrote a blog post to read today – three months after the conference. I wanted to remind myself of what I felt leaving Storyline, of what stood out and what I wanted to remember.

I didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear those words today.

I thought I might feel guilty as read those ambitious words. Shouldn’t I be changing the world by now?

But what I actually felt as I read it? Encouragement. Especially at this part:

Creating a meaningful life takes a lot of work, and the work takes time.

Slowly, I’ve been working on my story. Plugging away through the Storyline workbook, reading blogs of those that inspire me daily, reading other books on dreaming and hustling and starting and making life count. I’ve been blogging regularly, journaling personally and praying often. I’ve been running and exercising and cooking healthy meals (and unhealthy ones sometimes too).

Yet I don’t feel like my output has changed too much. Looking in from the outside, I’m still where I was before Storyline.

But that one line I wrote about 90 days ago lifts the guilt off my shoulders. Transformation happens slowly, and it happens from the inside out. You’ve got to work on changing the inside before the outside looks any different.

So right now, the big themes of my life are patience, persistence and faithfulness…probably three of the least exciting themes that exist, but it’s where we are.

I need to practice patience…I’m not good at patient. I like things to happen on MY timelines (which generally means ‘right now’). Maybe one day I’ll learn that they never do. I’m working on that.

I need to be persistent. I need to keep writing, reading, praying, searching. Even when it feels like nothing is happening.

I need to remain faithful. I need to trust that God is working with me through this, and that His timing is perfect.

Patience, persistence and faithfulness. None of those are fun in the moment. But I’ve got to believe they’re worth it.