As a child you are told to not cry, when and what to eat and what time to go to sleep.

You are told to stop making so much noise or to sit still.
You are sent to school and are told to sit in your chair to listen and to not speak. (Or think for yourself)
You want to make friends but people expect you to dress, act and comb your hair like the rest of the kids.

You begin to feel anxiety, “fight or flight” they call it. Sometimes it’s just your true self fighting to be free and it causes you to shake. You read the books and you talk to strangers one on one. They steer you straight and you build up the strength to get to know who you truly want to be.

So you begin to express your true self, you lose some friends and gain some others. You stay home too many nights because you choose to or because there is no one you can find to be with.
You begin to question your choices and whether to simply conform to fit in.

Don’t give in, give up or forget just who you are.
Don’t lock yourself into a cycle of deflating redundancies…Step away from the dark and hop into the light.
Take a left turn and feel your heart beat.

The light, well it can be dark sometimes. revealing yourself will put you in a vulnerable spot, is always uncomfortable at first. But unlike pretending, by being your true self you are free and can only improve each passing moment. It will hurt, you will feel isolated – time will bring comfort and healing.

I’m old, older than I thought I was… I’m broken in places you cannot even see. I have been shot at, beat up and left stranded. It has left me limping, yet I am still walking and with each step, moving forward rather than standing still. Although my scars can be unsightly at times, they empower me to keep on walking, keep on fighting and to keep on being my true self.

You need to live your life not the life dictated to you
Don’t lock yourself into a cycle of deflating redundancies…

Take a left turn and feel your heart beat.

Be truly grateful for each breath you take. And, walk on, walk on.