Self-Belief & the Journey

We are all human and fallible and sometimes even naive. And like it or not, we each have an array of struggles and trials and learning experiences to endure. No one person's flaws or insecurities or problems mirror another's.

I've mentioned once before how I planned to make a few personal posts on this blog, mostly just to share a bit of who I am with you. 

Today, I wanted to give you a bit of insight into my feelings on self-belief, which happens to be one of my biggest personal struggles. Part of my internal confidence struggle stems from several years of emotional abuse from my college boyfriend. I spent three years of my college career being torn down, berated, and made to believe that my goals and my career interests were not valid. 

It is important that you, as an individual, never allow another person to make you feel that your dreams and goals and beliefs are not worthwhile. We don't need validation from anyone but ourselves. Self-acceptance is the key to succeeding, and believe me, I'm still working on that one myself. 

But my dream to one day be a full-time makeup artist is warranted, and it's magical to me-- whether a boyfriend believes in me or not. 

I used to sit in health class watching the videos on couples abuse and how to handle it, but assumed that the women who put up with someone physically harming them or beating them down mentally were weak. Now I know that's not true. It just makes those women (or men) victims. And while I still struggle with believing in myself, I know that as long as I work towards my goals every single day, that one day I'll get there. 

The journey is everything. 

I wouldn't have begun this blog had I not realized that sharing what I love and who I am and how I am evolving was all part of my journey, just as overcoming an emotionally abusive relationship was conducive to it. I used to feel so pathetic for staying with someone who merely wanted to control me, but now I know it was just making me stronger. It took me three years to walk away from that relationship, but when I did walk away on my own terms-- no holds barred-- I knew that it was because I was capable of and deserved so much more. 

I do still battle the fear of chasing after my dreams and embracing the unknown, but had I not had those experiences in my past, I may not have had the courage to go after them. 

Whether your family, friends, boyfriend or girlfriend, spouse or colleague believes in you, the most vital piece of knowledge you should take with you on your journey is: 

You are capable of amazing things. You. On your own. 

I hope this post gives you more insight into what motivates me. And I pray that if you are struggling this will help you realize that we are all unique and special people, each of us here to do something much greater than we could have ever imagined. We just have to believe in ourselves. 

xx