PUT YOURSELF FIRST FOR ONCE, YOU DESERVE IT.

I’m writing this from the front seat of a steaming hot pick up with horrible cramps as I mentally prepare myself for a 45-minute show. Here’s something I’ve learned since COVID has really changed the way I think about things: Not being okay all of the time is completely okay and it’s about damn time we embrace it instead of faking our way through everything. My best friend showed me the song “Truth Be Told” by Matthew West. I have never found a song so relatable, especially towards how I am feeling in times like these. If you’re having an off day, just take a few minutes to listen to it. It could end up saving you.

To get back on track with things, let’s talk about you. You are always the person smiling, you are always the person there for other people, you are always the person posting on social media about how great life is, you are always the person cooking extravagant meals for everyone else, and the list could go on and on… What you don’t always let others see is that you are the person crying behind closed doors, you are the person who’s trying to be there for others but feel like you’re just making things worse, you are the person who can’t stand themselves when they can’t go a day without Instagram, and you are the person who can’t even eat these extravagant meals because you tell yourself you have to starve to look good. Regardless of who you are, it’s about time you embrace your imperfections and struggles just as much as you embrace your greatness. Your accomplishments have made you who you are, but so have your failures. There’s absolutely no reason to have to hate them for that. If you feel like you can continue on as is and it’ll fix itself, that’s great. If you feel like you just need two weeks of a brain health breather and want to sit at home working on yourself, that’s great, too. To each their own, honestly.

It’s about time you take your life back. Why wait? It’s insanely hard, but it’s also insanely possible. God told me to write this right now because I am struggling. I am struggling a lot, actually. I just got off of the phone with my mom and she gave me a pep talk because she could hear the mental exhaustion in my voice. Admitting that something is wrong is the first step to making everything better. It could take a day or it could take a year, but as long as you continue to take steps towards who you want to be, you are winning at life.

Let’s to this and take our lives back, together.