FUCK THAT BOX.

Barcelona Beach, Spain

Growing up, I never truly saw the power my voice had. I believed my thoughts and opinions were safest inside my mind and that it wasn’t that necessary to share my thoughts or feelings with anyone; and if I did, it took lots of contemplation and I feared that people wouldn’t listen and/or care about what I was saying, no matter how big or small the subject was.

It just seemed like others knew how to use their voice in a way I couldn’t. I couldn’t stand firm in my voice because I rarely used it. I knew I was imaginative, smart, creative and had important things to say, but it just didn’t really seem like it was enough.

Over the years though, I’ve learned that I lead by example; it’s my presence, my actions and my heart that speak for me when I’m silent— I don’t always have to be heard. I have grown into my voice, and into a rhythm I call, unassuming boldness. I am no longer that little girl who will always sit back and let whatever happens happen, I’m no longer that little girl who doesn’t think that her thoughts aren’t good enough just because it seems like someone else’s are better.

I’ve discovered that everyone has their own reality shaped by experiences, which doesn’t make it less real, it simply makes us more human. I had to change my own perception of my reality. I never really viewed myself as a known leader, but that’s not how other people have been viewing me, which shattered my whole perception of myself, and helped deteriorate my box. Sometimes our box isn’t just created by others, it can be a box we have toxically placed ourselves in, thinking that others see us as that same prisoner. I created my box out of fear, lack of confidence, and ignorance. But nah, I said fuck that box.