Dying Is Certain, Living Is Not.

Promise yourself that you will believe in the uniqueness of your contribution, that you will trust in what you know you are capable of. Though it may not be conventional, there is a passion that lives inside of you, and to truly live a life that honors your important gift is to justly guard it and defend it. You will never feel like you are fully living if you allow yourself to live the life someone hires you to live, if you care about the things someone pays you to care about.

Promise yourself that you will use your happiness as your guide. Instead of living a life that is rooted in the things you think you should do, strive to do the things your bones ache to achieve. Let your compass be one that uses joy as its leader, let your heart beat to the sound of your bliss.

Promise yourself that you will choose to love yourself every single day, whether or not you sleep beside another human being. Contrary to popular belief, you become whole when you start to love every inch of your body, every aspect of your character, and every feature of your mind, not when you find home in someone else’s arms. When you choose to love yourself with every sunrise, despite flaws, despite relationship status or good morning texts, you find within yourself a foundational kind of confidence that pours into every aspect of your existence. That is true liberation, that is freedom.

Promise yourself that you will not use old maps to get to new destinations. Traditionally speaking, if we followed in the footsteps of archaic ideals we would still be rooted in a world that does not support all of the progressive principles that have truly liberated us as human beings. Let this be a testament to your life. There is no need for you to walk in the footsteps of those who have created a dying world, so curate your own atlas, and forge your own path. Trust me when I say that you cannot mess up your journey.

You were built from this Earth and you will return to it. However, just as death takes what it can from life, we must do the same. We must challenge life, and demand more from it. We must laugh without questioning if we are laughing too loud, we must pursue goals without worrying about failure. We must take from life what we know we deserve, and we must tell ourselves every single day that we are worthy of experiencing an existence that is chalked full of breathtaking beauty.