Andrea Piacquadio

No Matter What Life Throws At You, Always Choose To Show Up For Yourself

Life is all about finding yourself. It’s about growing into the person that you want to be and following the path that whispers your name. The path can be constantly changing, which is why it is always so important to stop and reflect.

Reflecting is something that I do a hell of a lot of. I am constantly analyzing my decisions, behaviors, and responses because I am always striving to be better than I was the day before. Some days this is healthy, but other days this is toxic.

When you analyze every little thing in your life and when you put everyone else’s feelings before your own, it begins to eat you up. Your life then becomes more about correcting ‘mistakes’ rather than learning and growing from them.

When you’re like me, it’s easy to set the bar too high. It’s easy to put an unhealthy amount of pressure on yourself each and every day. It’s easy to block out feelings that need to be felt, and it’s easy to pretend that everything is ok when it’s not.

You’ll then find yourself wondering how or why you are struggling to stay afloat. You will miss all the signs, until one day you hit a breaking point. You can’t ignore any of your problems any longer. You’ve bottled everything up for so long and eventually the bottle overfilled. The feelings are overpowering you and hitting you like a ton of bricks right where it hurts, crushing your gentle and sensitive heart that you try so hard to protect.

It’s a process that doesn’t seem to end. You can be completely ‘fine’ one day and a complete mess the next. Darling, this is a story that you know all too well. Even the strongest of women can’t completely protect their hearts, for hearts aren’t meant to be protected. They are meant to be opened and shared with people who deserve the love that flows from them. You just need to be a little kinder to yourself and to others; understand that not everybody will hurt you. Trust me, your love is special, and you deserve to feel that connection, regardless of what your mind is telling you.

It all comes down to this: You aren’t giving yourself enough credit. You are worthy of all the amazing things that life has to offer. You deserve to feel happy, intelligent, loved, appreciated, competent, talented, undeniably beautiful, and everything in between. Give yourself the advice you would give to your best friend, because you wouldn’t let her settle for anything less, would you? Don’t wait for someone to break the cycle of your life; show up for yourself. Be the woman you are waiting for.

So, go out there and find yourself. Share your voice and feel proud to be heard. Reflect, but don’t dwell. You are human, it is okay to feel things. I know it may be scary to let people in, however, you light up the world with your heart and soul. Dance in your colors, move away from the dark. In case you forget everything you are capable of, look in the mirror—you got this. You have everything you need right within your heart. If you fall, catch yourself, and if you succeed, celebrate with a glass of champagne. It feels good to be your biggest cheerleader.