September 7, 2025
Some days you wake up ready to conquer the world, and other days you’re just trying to make it through without losing your mind, or your car keys. Today’s Thought of the Day, “Some days survival is victory enough,” hits me right in the middle of that tension.
Not every day is meant to be a triumph. Not every day is going to make the highlight reel. Some days, victory looks like simply showing up, taking one step forward, and not quitting when everything in you says to throw in the towel.
Think about it, life doesn’t hand out medals for making it through Monday. There’s no cheering section when you fold the laundry or manage to cook something that isn’t chicken nuggets for dinner. But maybe there should be. Because sometimes those quiet victories are the ones that matter most.
hindsight, it was everything. Right now, with three kids ages 6, 4, and 19 months, survival often looks like just making it through the chaos of bedtime. One is negotiating like a little lawyer about why they need five more minutes, one is bouncing off the walls with endless energy, and the youngest, well, the youngest just refuses to believe that sleep is a human necessity. I’m not at my best in those moments, but if I can keep everyone alive, fed, and eventually asleep, that’s victory.
Looking back, I realize that was victory. Not glamorous victory. Not Instagram-worthy victory. But victory all the same.
We live in a world obsessed with achievement. Every feed screams about goals, hustles, and “leveling up.” And sure, goals matter. Progress matters. But if we only ever measure our worth by the big wins, we miss the truth: survival is progress. Holding steady during the storms counts.
When I think of the times I’ve come out stronger, it wasn’t always because of big leaps. It was because I endured when things were hard. I kept going when I didn’t feel like it. And that counts for something.
So maybe the challenge is to redefine victory. Instead of only celebrating when we’ve checked off a huge goal, maybe we pause to honor the small moments too.
- You made it through a long workday? That’s a win.
- You resisted the urge to snap back in frustration? That’s a win.
- You got out of bed when it would’ve been easier to stay under the covers? That’s a win.
Because sometimes, some days survival is victory enough.
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