I've always been chatty. I'm a mumbler. A giggler. A gossiper. A babbler. A talker. Usually I'm cracking jokes or being too loud. I'm constantly apologizing for interrupting—I really am sorry—or getting in trouble for making sarcastic comments under my breath during classes. It's part of who I am. But for a girl who loves to talk, you could fill books with the words I haven't said.

It's not that I do not have the right words, it's that I lack courage. At least in this instance, I am not brave or strong. I am silent in the face of risk; I let fear rule my tongue.

I wish I could speak up. I've watched people be bullied. I've let myself get torn down. I've given up on fights that were worth winning. I've let people walk away without knowing how much they mean to me. I've lost loves because I never let them know. There is so much I miss because it is too hard to take the leap and let the words come. Instead, they sit balanced on the tip of my tongue, waiting for a reckless breath to push them forward.

I'm not here to preach to others who struggle as I do. I'm here let you all know that you aren't alone. Don't beat yourself up—it's okay. But this isn't the way life should be. We can't hide behind fear and doubt. We have important things to say and it's time to start to say them.

We wonder what we could be, and we could be so much more. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I understand the nightmare that is the unknown. You live by "what ifs" and "maybe somedays" and "it just isn't the right time." But today is the right time. Now is the time to start grabbing life by the balls and stop curling up in corners. We don't have to start big, we can start small. It isn't an overnight fix, nor something that we will ever be completely over. We can, however, take the first few steps.

Words are a gift the universe gave us. We can use them in whatever way we choose. They are beautiful and powerful and can change the course of human history. When something is as powerful as words are, it can be difficult to harness them. But I think the key in learning to speak up is remembering that while words can make or break us, they are not permanent. They can change lives but they are as fleeting as a summer storm. And no matter what we say, it will not kill us. And if we have surrounded ourselves with the right people, it will not kill them either.

So, to the friend who needed me the most when she was lost, I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. And to my first love, who broke my heart and let me down, it is time you knew how much you ruined me. To the kids getting harassed in the hall, I will no longer be that bystander who sits and stares. And to the boy who hurts my heart in the best way, thank you—you deserve the world and I hope that someday I can give it to you.

Let's end our self-imposed silence together.