set yourself free

resist the urge to self-isolate, girl. people want you around. people don't think you're faulty. you're allowed to be wrong and make mistakes and missteps and people won't reject you for it. don't self-isolate. nobody in your life wants you to self-isolate. don't do it.

please make sure that wherever you’re at in life, you don’t treat it like a transitory period. don’t waste your college years wishing to already be graduated & have a job. don’t waste your single years wishing for someone to be in love with. if/when those things come, they will come in due time and they will be good. but there is nothing like looking back and feeling empty because you wasted literal years ignoring what you had because you were hoping for something better. while it’s important to better yourself and reach for your goals, don’t neglect the present because that’s where you are now and it’s your now that determines your future. 

i think the hardest part about healing is realizing there’s no finish line. no big dramatic moment where everything feels suddenly better. it’s slower than that. it’s quieter. it’s choosing not to text them back. it’s making your bed on a heavy day. it’s being kind to yourself when your mind is cruel. healing is a thousand tiny victories no one else sees.

Hear me very clearly. You are not defined by what you face, but by how you respond. You are stronger than your struggles, and more than the sum of your past mistakes. You are the architect of your destiny, not a prisoner to the unchangeable. You are the silent warrior, conquering your inner battles. Keep your head up, forgive yourself, and press on.

forgive yourself for not being perfect - you’re human and that’s beautiful

Do not play small. Constantly seek inspiration. Acknowledge your growth. Appreciate your wins. Practice discipline. Be proud of yourself. Hype yourself up. Celebrate yourself. Don't give up on yourself. Above all else, love yourself.

life is not success. life is not grades or achievements. life is refreshing naps, drinking your favourite drink, movie night, hugging your best friend, laying on grass, funny videos, seeing your plant bloom, the days getting longer, candles, finding a piece of clothing that’s just so you, complimenting people, personal handshakes, that one song, cleansing showers, smelling flowers, cute book or coffee shops, cute prints, finishing a notebook. this is truly what life is. the smallest things.

people will really be bothered from you for being soft, and living life at ease. i’m sorry, i don’t run on chaos, cortisol, and victim mentality. i show up for myself. i put in the work. i’m kind because it keeps my spirit light, not for applause. you should try it, and you’ll feel less triggered from others living with calmness and appreciation.

forgive the version of you that didn’t know any better

forgive the version of yourself that knew better but did it anyway. forgive every version of yourself. we are constantly learning from our mistakes.

I want to live simply. I want to sit by the window when it rains and read books I’ll never be tested on. I want to paint because I want to, not because I’ve got something to prove. I want to listen to my body, fall asleep when the moon is high and wake up slowly, with no place to rush off to. I want not to be governed by money or clocks or any of the artificial restraints that humanity imposes on itself. I just want to be, boundless and infinite.