dear me,

you are worthy. not you can be. not you could be, if…

you are.

because you are kind, trustworthy, loyal, friendly, patient, empathetic, loving, genuine, authentic, compassionate, a good listener, helpful, considerate, intelligent, thoughtful, a change-maker, god-fearing. you care about the people you love and want them to be ok. you are non-confrontational, sometimes soft spoken, understated. easygoing, calm, collected, flexible, go with the flow. like the waves and the ocean. you hold yourself accountable and don’t glorify yourself. sometimes. you are real and honest and you genuinely want to be better. you want to be the best you can be. that’s sometimes a flaw. but you are graceful. you are a wise owl, you are thoughtful and grounded and unshakeable. mostly. you are strong and firm and steadfast. you can choose not to be bitter or jealous. you have the power and the strength to reject the bad parts, to love the quirks and to know the difference. this is something you are working on. you’re sometimes narcissistic, a little bit self-absorbed in your self-consciousness, in your anxiety and low self esteem. but you’re learning to love yourself. so this is ok.

you can be unkind. you are flawed. but we’re working on that, together. this is ok.

dear me, think about this for yourself: what is success to you?

it is making an impact. it is changing toxic culture. it is being a good person who inspires others. it is leadership. it is sharing ideas and thoughts in beautiful words. it is being yourself, and knowing who that is. fully and completely. it is accepting and loving yourself for the person you are. it is having confidence. confidence. confidence. confidence. it is choosing to be vulnerable, knowing you are opening the gates to pain and hurt. it is not tying your worth to achievements and accolades. it is not beating yourself up, or comparing yourself to others. it is not pandering to the admiration of others, but pursuing your own passions, doing what you love, and surrounding yourself with people who get you. it is being yourself, not shrinking to make others comfortable. it is fully immersing yourself in what you love to do. it is all of these things. again, it is finding your passion and living that. it is peace, contentment, love. it is hugging people when they succeed and feeling their joy even when your are disappointed for yourself. it is being happy for others’ successes even when your own tears – the ones for yourself – come later.

you are loved. you can be loved. you can love. i love you.

sending love,

you