It’s not enough to have a voice and to use it. It’s also essential to know your worth and understand your value. Understand your voice in your community and your identity. Your importance goes to your life and to those around you.
Establishing your life as valuable and worthy is the first step in healing and processing. Use “I am” phrases in order to recognize yourself as powerful and present.
This is who I am
This is why I’m here
Your voice goes as far as the echo it gives so yell out and makes yourself known. Let your echo go as far as the sky will let it.
You are important and you deserve to live and help others understand your existence. Use your voice. Know yourself.
In the first week of May, I visited my closest friend Tati in Syracuse. When I’m with Tati we go on adventures and I have the opportunity to try new daring things I would otherwise pass up. This May I went jogging in six feet of water for the first time. I didn’t know what water jogging was or that it meant going to the deepest part of the pool until we arrived at the YMCA.
Excited to do something different, I tagged along thinking I would be in a pool that was at least four feet because all of my experience with pools consisted of small blow-up kiddie pools. I got this, right? Not at all. At least not at first.
When I walked down the pool steps into the chlorine filled abyss of horror, the water made my legs wobbly but my flotation belt (which helps with the water jogging) helped me stand straight. Instant fear struck and I became paralyzed. I never felt this type of fear before. Tati looked at me concerned because she didn’t know this was my first time in an adult pool. After learning how I afraid I was, she quickly grabbed a small kickboard to help me float. I watched as two young girls, unafraid, swam with confidence and joy. I wish I had the confidence of a child. I felt terrified at first, but after a few moments of Tati explaining to me of my safety I floated to the edge of the pool and began to float along to the deep side. Five feet…then six feet. She explained to me that our bodies will always float but I have to take control of my movements. I used my strength to maneuver my body and muscles into more comfortable positions which meant focusing while I was floating. “When you panic your body tenses and you lose that control,” she said. Water jogging is harder then it looks. It helped to straighten my legs in order to trust that my control of myself will keep me afloat. The more she talked to me the more I began to understand my fear and was able to control my body. I needed to trust the water and trust myself. I WILL ALWAYS FLOAT. As my lesson continued and with Tati’s voice to guide me, I finally got the right rhythm to water jog. My first time in an adult pool and I learned so much!
Water, Anxiety, and Control
How does this relate to my anxiety? An uncontrolled situation fuels my anxiety. My mind escalates situations even before I can decide in what ways I have control and what ways I don’t. The water became my uncontrolled variable. While in the water, I found myself panicking because the water resistance did not allow me to comfortably stand straight or control my immediate movements. In order to stay upright, I needed to focus.
I learned to stay calm and remember I will always float and control what I do. Fighting back the water resistance allowed me to use my abilities and strength to build focus and confidence. Control in water means I’m able to move my body, stay straight, move my arms in ways that helped my head stay above the water. I controlled myself even though there wasn’t immediate support around me. Just me and the water. The moment I felt overwhelmed my body would float in a plank position until I straightened myself and rid my mind of my own anxiety.
I have control because at that moment I realized I’m always in control one way or another. I will always float and I will be okay. Focusing allows my mind to become relaxed. As I trust my element, my situation, and circumstance I will be in control of confidence and calmness. Six feet of water taught me that calmness and focus is what keeps me floating above the water. I will not drown, I will learn to swim. My anxiety will not fool me into believing I do not have control of myself.
I will be brave in the next steps of my life. I will take the risks necessary to get where I want. I will be the boss and I will not be afraid or anxious to make decisions. I deserve to want to wake up because I’m living the life I worked to build. I’m able to do what I put my potential to.
I’m strong in my bravery. I’m my own limit. I can do this.
Remind yourself that you can create and navigate your career. Open your minds to different paths and approaches that all ultimately lead to your potential and interests. Don’t lock yourself in a cliche. Build who you want to become on the blocks of your opportunities.
Know that your potential is limitless once you understand the extent of what you can do with your interests. Research and open your mind to what you can do and the places you can go to utilize your strengths. You are your limit. Use your imagination. Create the position you want to be in. Be a boss. Be a leader.
In order to do what you want, to be in the position you want, you would have to find it or create it. Don’t be afraid to think outside your comfort zone and do what you think you can’t. Try different angles, attempt multiple approaches to your interests. You will get where you want to go. Believe in your work and experience.
There are moments we will give up. There are moments when we will be tired. There are moments when we will need to take a break. Those moments will not define us, however. Those moments will not sum up our efforts or who we are. Try again and keep going because when you think you’ve been defeated by the struggles, instead you’re going through a necessary process of progress. Your furnace and fire is your motivator. Your furnace is what will create you. You will need your fire for your enlightenment.
One of the most difficult realizations to deal with is self-progress and patience. While you see others exceeding, you may begin to compare yourself and your progress to that of the ones around you. Understand that your life and their life has no comparison. You are build for something and they are build for something as well. Your progress and process is not to be tampered with as a comparison with someone else’s glory or shine. Your shine and glory is for you and only for you. Stay blessed. Stay motivated. Stay encouraged.
It’s important to have your voice and use it. Do not silence your struggle or progress. Create in yourself confidence that allows your voice to become louder. Build your identity to become who you are.
Know when various factors are holding you hostage and know you can set yourself free. Understand your worth and fight for your mental peace. Don’t be afraid of change or struggling. Understand your circumstances and what you have to face. You can know peace and learn calmness. Set yourself free. You deserve to be free.
Creativity is power. Productivity will help you to keep busy and continue to thrive. Create something. Do what you love. Use your imagination. As I use my creativity to help me cope with my struggle, I encourage you to also create. Make something beautiful.
SparklyWarTanks 