When I go into a situation, I try to keep a mindset of baseline optimism.
- When starting the day: It's going to be a good day.
- When meeting someone new: I'm going to like them.
- When trying something challenging: It's going to work out.
Problems will inevitably arise and I'll deal with them as the situation demands, but my preference is to assume I'm on a winning path until proven otherwise.
sometimes you don't even realize how much you've changed until you look back at the version of yourself who used to beg for clarity accept mixed signals and hold onto people who were never holding onto you the same way
and it hits you that growth didn't happen all at once, it happened on the nights you cried in silence on the days you forced yourself to keep going and in the moments you finally chose peace over chaos
and now you understand that not everyone deserves access to your heart that healing isn't about going back to who you were but becoming someone stronger wiser and more honest with yourself
and that choosing yourself isn't selfish it's survival
Your brain often holds onto the picture behind the word, even when you tell it not to.
That’s why what you focus on matters more than what you’re trying to avoid.
A man isn't asking for much. Not miracles, not the impossible. Just peace when he's with you, and respect in your eyes. Give him both, and he hands over everything he has: his strength, his loyalty, his whole heart."