I hope when you take a step back and look at your life and how you got to where you are... like really look at where you are whether it be good, bad or indifferent you have enough self awareness to be thankful and amongst all else to be PROUD.
Life is a wild thing, I constantly find myself looking around at the people, places, and opportunities I have around me and more often than not let an audible "how in the fuck... did I get here" slip out of my mouth. Like straight up, how the fuck did I end up with all these amazing opportunities and this wild ride of life? Decisions, life is all made up of decisions and some of them feel heavier and harder to make than what shoes you're going to wear today but honestly at the end of the day... it's all the same; ya know? One decision is going to leave you with cold soggy feet and one will leave you feeling pretty comfortable. Either way, lesson learned and stories to laugh about later.... it's all the same really.
I hope you're equally if not more proud of the adversity, the struggles, the underdog story. The times that you got beat down with a baseball bat and stood back up... wiped the tears and the blood and ignored the bruised ego and rallied the fuck on. I hope you're more proud of those times than the times that it just worked out, that your decision led to something great because although what a sigh of relief... that's no lesson learned. You may have not gained all that you could have from that experience. However, on the flip side of that coin I hope you NEVER let those situations of adversity make you bitter or limit your belief or that you put yourself in a box. I hope you don't let your comfort zone or your circumstances define who you are because "That's just what I've always done." "I've always dressed like that." "I've always acted like that." Whatever poor excuse it may be that leaves you in comfort and ultimately in fear... I hope you muster up the courage to kick it in the nut sack and tell it to get fucked.
Be self aware enough to not get stuck, you are ONE decision... one small decision as heavy or as weightless as putting on a pair of shoes -- from a different life. I hope you surround yourself with people, friends, and family that hold you accountable to those dreams and those standards and encourage you and support you to become whoever and whatever you want to be (within healthy reason...no toxicity here, thanks.) I hope you have cheerleaders in your corner to help you to be self aware. That listen when you speak, genuinely care and respond even through the tough conversations. If you feel that you don't have that support in your life, you have mine. I will ALWAYS be your biggest fan and your loudest cheerleader. If you need courage to and have the confidence to chase a dream, you can borrow mine because I KNOW to my core you can accomplish it and I am confident in your ability... borrow my confidence because man, well... you fucking got this.
Believing is a decision and believing is followed by action and action is just another decision. Let's do it together, I got you. I know it can be scary but it's all good. What's worse? Never making it to the other side? Because no matter what you CAN NOT FUCKING LOSE. You either learn and then try again or you make it work... either way it's a win. You only lose if you quit. Whatever you do, don't fucking quit. Whatever you fucking do...
Don't give up the ship.
Stay a maverick, I'm proud of you.