Chasing Approval ☘️

I’ve spent so much of my life trying to be easier to like. I’d soften my voice, laugh when I didn’t want to, agree just to avoid conflict. I remember this one conversation where I nodded along the whole time even though everything in me disagreed. Afterward, I felt so far from myself. It’s exhausting trying to fit into someone else’s version of who you should be. There came a moment where I just asked myself, “Do I like the version of me I become around them?” And honestly, sometimes the answer was no. That’s when I knew I had to stop shrinking to be accepted. I started pulling away from people who made me second-guess my worth and drawing closer to the ones who made me feel warm and whole just by being myself. Now, I’m learning to stop chasing approval. I am not for everyone. And that’s a relief, not a flaw. The right people feel like exhaling. I don’t have to perform for them. I just get to be. And that’s the kind of love and friendship I want to keep. ꒰ᐢ｡ ‸ ｡ᐢ꒱ #RealOverPerfect #BeYourself

• Authenticity
• Connection
• Acceptance