Dear doubters,

Here I am. I'm going places you always told me I never would and accomplishing things beyond any imaginary boundaries you set up for me. I spent years of my life being told "You aren't smart enough" or "Things like that don't happen for people like you". Even after that, I only have one thing to say to you: I forgive you.

I am able to forgive you because, despite your tireless effort to break me down and make me feel just as insecure as you are, I am reaching all of my goals and creating new ones. For a long time, I let the destructive things you labeled me define who I was and who I was going to be. I questioned whether I was actually going to do things like go to college, be independent, or live luxuriously. I am no longer inhibited by these judgments and use them to push forward.

When I got to college and away from all for the negativity, I could finally value myself the way I deserved. I work myself as hard as I can to continue proving you all wrong. You all had the wrong idea about me, and it's sad that you couldn't see what I'd become someday. People are hard enough on themselves without being put down by others. I forgive you, because it's not me that you see no worth in, it's yourself. Someone, somewhere along the line told you the things you tell me. It relieves your anxiety about the future and your goals to criticize me on my journey. It's okay, I understand that pressure can become heavy and hard to carry, so you pass it to me. I refuse to carry it, but will never pass it on. I will leave that burden in the past where it belongs.

I hope, doubters, that you are able to learn to love yourself. I hope you can fulfill all of your dreams, despite who is telling you that you aren't gonna make it. I could easily hate you, but that is not the person I want to be. I don't even think about you anymore because I'm too busy growing and moving on with my life. I hope you are too.

No one can decide my dreams for me and I learned that over time. Luckily, not everyone in your life will try to hold you back, and I just want to thank all of those who never doubted me. You motivated me to keep going when my critics almost got the better of me. I am forever grateful to have all of you on my side, because I would have never made it without you. I strive to never disappoint you, to assure you of your worth, and motivate you when your doubters get to be too much.

And one last thing, doubters and critics, I will let you know what life is like from the top.