I have SURVIVED & CHOOSE my identity ✨
When I was a little girl, I was someone who didn’t let fear stop her.
I moved with fire. I made things happen. I knew if I wanted something I could create it, just like magic.
And lately, it’s felt like that version of me has been slipping through my fingers because I wonder who the hell I am?!
On paper, I’m doing all the “right” things.
The healing. The boundaries. The business. The growth.
So why do I still feel like I’m being tested? Is this just what we have to go through to ensure that our armor is still in tact?
Then I remember -
Even when fear creeps in, my armor hasn’t cracked open, even through every battle I always am protected.
My soul is still strong. My heart still knows truth.
I’ve survived battles most people wouldn’t even recognize.
And I’m still standing — real, raw, and rooted.
Driven by the desire for a relationship bigger than just self love, but self leadership.
So now? I’m not just choosing myself.
I’m choosing the life I deserve.
The one where minds wander, but they are organized and well rested.
The life where I don’t settle for anything less ever again.
The life that I’ve worked for. Prayed for.
The one where I no longer shrink to survive.
I thought that if I shrunk enough I would be able to understand more of myself and why I cared so much about others opinions defining myself, or my value.
I’ve been in my own way before.
I’ve called myself “too emotional.”
I’ve labeled myself the things that I was damned I’d ever claim or even remotely whisper.
I believed softness made me weak.
I believed rest made you worrisome.
That stability was fragile and a hard thing to achieve, let alone understand what that meant for myself.
But now I know — my softness is my compass.
My journey through life has painted a map of destinations which have all shared valuable lessons to myself and others.
Every time I give myself grace, I grow.
Every time an obstacle comes my way, I know I have the tools in my arsenal - sometimes the “tools” I use to believe that were binding chains.
And that growth? It’s about to show on the outside too.
My style. My energy. My presence.
It all blooms from within.
I didn’t really think that I had to dig into the soil and real plant my roots into self guidance because, if my mind being preoccupied in this “personified perfection”.
I’m not just inspiring others anymore.
I’m inspiring myself — with every boundary I honor.
With every dream I protect and follow through with.
With every day I show up even when it’s hard.
With every chance I seek and find the good to inspire the many masks I’ve worn throughout the years to RIP them off of those older versions of myself and scream
“YOU ARE ENOUGH!!!”
I’m not perfect. But I am powerful.
I’m not anyone but the person that chooses to learn each day to love myself consistently, to date myself, to show up and hold space for myself.
And trusting myself daily? That’s not just self-love.
That’s self-belief.
The belief that in the filling of my own cup I have the capacity to fill and understand how to fill others, in the way that benefits both of us.
That’s how I know I deserve everything good coming to me.
That’s how I know that there really are such things as miracles and magic.
I know because I’ve dug deep into the darkness to find that it’s not just the darkness but the soil for the blossoming identity which is myself in every form.
It’s by guiding myself with the tools that I’ve created like schedules; and brain dumps and safe spaces to vent.
It’s by recognizing the why behind the do - and not being mad at myself for sometimes if the do isn’t really aligning with the do of the future.
Loving myself means choosing myself, and every relationship with others I choose to love.
It all starts with knowing I’ve always been the best version of myself everyday that I simply, just Ariel.
& I’m pretty damn proud of myself.
& I believe it.
#lemon8wellness #findingmyselfagain #selflove #embracevulnerability #wellness
Self-leadership is a vital aspect of personal development that transcends mere survival; it involves actively guiding yourself with intention, compassion, and strength. Embracing softness as a compass in life does not signify weakness but rather profound inner wisdom and authenticity. The author highlights the importance of practices such as journaling, setting boundaries, brain dumps, and creating safe spaces to express emotions as tools to nurture self-awareness and resilience. Healing is rarely linear, and it involves facing internal battles which, although invisible to others, can shape one's growth and identity profoundly. This article emphasizes that our obstacles and scars are not limitations but the fertile soil where our identity blooms. The message that "imperfections are powerful" reflects the contemporary understanding that vulnerability fosters true strength and connection. Self-belief, as distinguished from self-love, involves trusting oneself daily and recognizing one’s capacity to nurture and support both oneself and others meaningfully. This approach helps break free from societal stigmas and internalized judgments like being "too emotional" or equating softness or rest with weakness. Instead, it encourages seeing these traits as integral to leadership and sustained personal wellness. Moreover, living a life where the mind wanders yet remains organized and well-rested supports mental and emotional clarity, enhancing decision-making and creativity. Protecting dreams and consistently showing up even on difficult days are acts of courage that reinforce self-leadership. Incorporating these insights into daily life builds a sustainable foundation for self-guided growth and transformation. By digging deep into the "darkness" and recognizing it as the nourishing soil for one’s blossoming identity, one can find miracles and magic not in external circumstances but within themselves. Ultimately, this narrative presents a profound reminder that embracing one’s true self, imperfections and all, and choosing to lead oneself with unwavering grace, is the key to a fulfilled and empowered life.