All Progress is Incremental

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice" is a famous quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

These words have been on my mind lately - for obvious reasons. I keep them on a post-it on my computer screen because when things feel especially bleak, they remind me that there is always reason for hope.

They also remind me that in business and life, in society and culture, in interpersonal relationships and maybe most importantly, in our relationship with our own self, all progress is incremental.

I keep getting reminded by the universe (sometimes with a proverbial smack in the face) that evolving as humans often means taking two steps forward, then one step back. That’s still growth nonetheless.

One other thing I’ve noticed is that the real growth may not be overt (call it a journey-not-destination kind of thing) and in fact, it might be happening nearly invisibly, behind the scenes of our lives.

This is the case with almost everything: losing weight or building muscle; improving a fraught relationship with a loved one; building self-worth; even trying to muddle through (much less make sense of) what’s going on out there in the world.

In all of the above (and more), there likely won’t be one huge breakthrough moment. Instead, tiny, positive, and consistent actions - day in and day out - are what move the needle. 

Remember: “Everything grows in the dark.” 

Keep the faith, and keep going, my friends.