You’re so much more than your mistakes and the hardships you face. You are so much more than that break up that caused you so much pain it was hard to breathe through the tears at 5 am in the morning. Or that one semester you didn’t get the GPA you had aimed for because you partied too much. You are more than the number on the scale after countless nights of eating pizza with friends in college. You are more than that one best friend you lost from a vicious fight with many regretful words exchanged. And the awkward one nightstand you cringe at the thought of. And you will always be more than that boy you keep going back to even when he continues to knock you down and leaves you aimlessly searching for the piece of you he took.
These mistakes, these adversities…. they don’t define you.
What defines you is how your eyes crinkle when you laugh or how you took care of your friend one drunken night with no expectation of them paying you back. Your loyalty defines you and your kindness that shows in your smile. Holding the door for a stranger defines you. And picking yourself back up after hitting rock bottom…these are the things that matter.
We all make mistakes, it’s hard to overcome them and not let them haunt you day after day. You can constantly reticule yourself for these said mistakes and you can allow them to turn into fears but you are more than your past regrets. You are worth so much more than what you think.
Your mistakes are not meant to dictate where you are going; they are only a reminder of your past as you continue to make long strides forward, growing immensely throughout it all. You are young and you are a fighter. You will learn from everything that happens and these experiences will lead you to who you are supposed to be. You wouldn’t have been given this difficulty if you weren't strong enough to move past it.
I believe that what defines you is how you move on from your mistakes. You have the option to take every hardship with grace and dignity instead of letting it be a weight on your shoulders. To me, that is what matters. The sun will always rise in the morning and you will always wake up to a new day. If you make a mistake, realize that you are only human. You can only do so much with the regrets that you hold close to you so move on from them. Start your day with a newfound hope that is telling you that you can overcome whatever comes your way - the mistakes, the hardships, the challenges. They will never define you.
