It has been a long time that I have been in this journey. It has also been some time that I have figured out how to live life on my own. It can be very challenging and very tempting. Still, I need that healthy mix to find where I need to be. I’m learning to be me.

There is a part of me that once wanted to have everything my way to feel safe. I thought that things were going to be just fine. The reality was that I have learned a crucial lesson. Life is never guaranteed. It can change at any given moment. It means that sometimes I just have to let things work out as they will. I do not have the answer or the ability to make things happen the way I think they should be. It has shown me the need to be flexible. I must learn to deal with life’s challenges as they happen.

It has also taken me to realize that I need to be mature about things. Reacting negatively will not help me achieve what I need. Saying something inappropriate will not keep me safe in situations I can’t control. Believing that I can control things as I once did only makes things worse. I know that I need to be strong. Many peers and others look up to me. I can be a person who can overcome so much. I need to allow myself to stay focused. I must gather my strength to get through the tough stuff in the way that I know best.

I used to think I knew everything about things. I believed I needed to solve things to put my anxiety at ease. The reality is that I must work at keeping myself in control. I should not focus so much on putting down others or making them feel bad. Sometimes I feel as if they hurt me or made me uncomfortable, but that is not always the case. Things in life have made me stronger at times. I am grateful for that. Some things have worked out that way, instead of the ways that continued to see me fail in the past.

Sometimes it is better to be in your own world. Granted there are times when it is necessary to connect with others and be a part of something. But there are also times when it is best to stay out of affairs. You think that you need to have the solution to them. It can only sometimes make them worse. I need to be strong and do what is necessary to navigate challenging situations. Being my best self in every circumstance is essential.

The truth is, I had to realize something important. I don’t have the power to make things the way I want them to be. I have learned that things happen for a reason. We can’t always control how they happen. We need to be our own best advocate. We should do what is necessary to get what we need. This ensures that we feel safe. The rest of life comes extra and we navigate life as it comes by making the best of it.