As a child I was told to be a happy, smiling girl and not cause a scene.

My parents would tell me they were proud of me only when I got A’s, won an award or was chosen first. Sleepovers with friends was not a good use of time, and art was just a hobby.

I was told to always respect my elders, no matter how uncomfortable, emotionally abused, or neglected I felt.

When others disapproved of what I did and how I behaved, I had to apologize and show remorse.

I was responsible for other people’s emotions, even when they were harmful to me or made me feel unsafe.

I was taught to override my intuition, because making a good impression was everything.

I learned to uphold people’s perception of me to a higher standard than my self-worth, boundaries and having my own needs met.

If I wasn’t winning — I was losing or I was failing.

I WAS A FALSE VERSION OF SELF.

I had this disruptive force within me that was no longer going to be tamed, and desired a vision for myself and others of unleashing and unearthing all the wild within us.

Not settling into one box, one label or one attribute, but exploring the multiples in life.

I began shedding the stories, layers and patterns that were no longer in alignment with me to step forward into my truth.