If I could talk to you in person, I would sit you down, probably at a cute little cafe, look you in the eye, and tell you that you’re worth it. Listen to me. YOU ARE WORTH IT. Everything that has brought you to this point in life right now, it has shaped you. Some for the better. Some for the worse. But it is who you are. You matter.
Life is a challenge. But it is also a gift. It can be a beast or a beauty, and how it is, depends on how you see it.
You don’t need to have what everyone else has. You don’t have to be something you’re not to fit in. You don’t need to act a certain way. You do you.
Because “you” are perfect. With all your blemishes, scrapes and scratches that life has presented…you are becoming the best version of you. Experiences mold you. They teach you what you want, and what you don’t want. They teach you what you are willing to tolerate, and what you absolutely will not accept.
It’s a process. It takes time.
The girl I was at 16, and 21, and 34, and 40…is not who I am now. Every year, I become a better version of myself, because I choose to. I could stay complacent with my life and my goals. I could sit back and just be. But what if I try to become more?
What if you try to become more?
What if you try to become more than you even you think you’re capable?
It’s easy to do what everyone else is doing. It’s safe. But to stand on your own, takes a certain level of crazy. A certain level of confidence. Yes, it’s terrifying. But you know what’s more terrifying than change? Staying in the same spot…for a lifetime. Never taking a risk. Never having that feeling in your belly – not the butterflies…the feeling of impending vomit because you just decided to do something that petrifies you.
Every stage of your life will teach you something. I learned that I’m an over-achiever, a survivor, a wife, a mother, an entrepreneur, a friend. I learned that love is fleeting. Hold on to it when you find it. I learned that grandparents don’t live forever. I learned that life gets in the way of friendships, that kids can break you, but also bring you the biggest joy.
I’m learning still – learning to say ‘no,’ to sometimes be a little selfish, to take a break when I need one. I’m learning that love has highs and lows, but it is soooo worth every minute. I’m learning balance. I’m learning to eat healthier, despite my love of cake. I’m learning. And so are you.
Who you are right now is not who you’re going to be. So give yourself a break!
I know. You’re reading this and you’re like, “Shut up. You don’t even know me.” And you’re right. I don’t. But I know this. You were born for a reason. You are here for a reason. Don’t waste your time on earth comparing yourself to others. Don’t waste your time being angry. Don’t waste your time worrying. Seriously, stop it.
Find the beauty in every single day. Find a reason to be grateful. Find a cause you can get behind. Find someone that makes you want to be a better you.
Don’t judge. You do you. Let them do them.
And every once in a while, eat cake.
Original print 2017
On Being Dolly 
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