Love Notes & Perseverance: Fueling Your Journey
Sometimes, the things that carry us through life aren’t grand gestures or perfectly polished milestones—they’re the small reminders, the whispers of encouragement, and the determination to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Love notes and perseverance might not sound like much on their own, but together, they create the fuel that keeps us moving toward something bigger.
I didn’t always understand that. I used to think progress had to be dramatic—a bold leap, a sweeping change, some cinematic moment where the music swells and everything falls into place. But more often than not, real growth is quieter. It’s found in the dog-eared note taped to the fridge, the message a friend sends at just the right time, or the scribbled reminder you write yourself on a sticky note because you know tomorrow’s going to be tough.
On the farm, perseverance is practically stitched into every sunrise. The animals don’t care if you’re tired, if the weather is terrible, or if you’d rather hide under the covers. They need you, and showing up for them becomes a practice in grit. And yet, even in the hardest mornings, I find myself stumbling upon little “love notes” from life itself. The way Henry the donkey greets me with a bray that somehow manages to sound both ridiculous and affectionate. The way the goats, in their chaos, still nuzzle close once the mischief is over. Even the chickens, when they settle down after their clucking chorus, leave me with fresh eggs—a simple but steady reminder that effort yields reward.
Outside the farm, love notes show up too. They come as text messages from people who remind me I’m not alone, or a comment from someone who says my stories made them laugh when they needed it most. They come in the quiet affirmations I tell myself on days I want to give up: you’ve done hard things before, you can do this again.
But love notes alone aren’t enough—you have to pair them with perseverance. Perseverance is waking up even when yesterday knocked the wind out of you. It’s feeding the goats even after they dented your truck hood. It’s daring to keep creating, keep showing up, keep dreaming, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Together, love notes and perseverance form a kind of rhythm. The love notes remind you why you’re moving forward in the first place. The perseverance ensures you actually get there. And in that rhythm, you find momentum—enough to climb the hardest hills, enough to weather the muddiest days, enough to laugh when the chaos feels overwhelming.
Fuel for your journey doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s as simple as a donkey bray that makes you laugh when you want to cry. Sometimes it’s as steady as your own determination to try again tomorrow. And sometimes, it’s as powerful as knowing that love—whether written on paper, spoken aloud, or tucked deep in your heart—will always carry you farther than you imagined.
So take the note. Read it twice. Tape it where you’ll see it again. And then, keep walking. Because with love and perseverance as your fuel, the road ahead, no matter how hard, will always lead somewhere worth going.
