what you Are, & what you Are NOT

They just kept piling up, and it was like I had to keep them in for approval and love.

The world wants us to be vocal and to express ourselves, but if we say the wrong thing it could be detrimental. That's how it was back then, that's how I perceived it was. I felt within myself, with nothing materializing through words or actions, and this became a cycle. All the sudden the center of my world became impressing the external world, and not myself. I was oriented toward the outside, what they wanted to see and hear, and what would make them happy, with no consideration about how that would effect me.

And so I lost my center - MY foundation, MY passions, and MY feelings.

Then I thought it was me - maybe I'm not doing enough, maybe I am all these things they say I am, maybe I don't deserve to be treated any better.

The first step was recognizing it, realizing that my daily actions are oriented around someone else, someone less worthy of me than myself.

And then I had to remind myself - Of What I Am & What I Am Not - I am someone who has enough courage to question whether or not I'm in the right place - and I am NOT (_______________________).

You are the most interesting person in your life, you are the person who knows yourself more than anyone else in this world, and so every feeling and action should be guided by YOU.

There should be no uncertainty or insecurity, no questioning myself and my decisions because they should be coming from my core, not from the desires of those on the outside.

Remember who you are and where you came from, remember your own passions and your own goals. Dont lower your expectations of other people, you know what you deserve. When people begin to break these things down, SPEAK, don't allow them to dim your glow or push you off center.

Every feeling, thought, and action you engage in should be a reflection of you, of what you stand for and what you believe. Allow yourself to feel, to think about how you feel, and to act out how you feel. The people who care about you, once you are honest with them and yourself, will still be there.

"Today is never too late to be Brand New"

~ Taylor Swift, Innocent