Anita Berber and Conrad Veidt in Unheimliche Geschichten (1919)

Age 15 I will never forget

turns out I’ll always carry my 15 year old self. silly me

you know what defines YOU?

not your accomplishments. your success or your failure.

not your capability. your knowledge or your strength.

not your mental health. your illness or your state of mind.

not your physical condition. your appearance or your body’s health.

not your talents or skills. not your aces or where you fall short.

not any mistakes you’ve made. be it in your past or your present.

not other people’s opinion of you. whether it’s family or friends or enemies.

nor other people’s expectation of you. whether or not they approve of your mind, your dreams, your life.

you know what defines you?

you. you define you.

what values do you hold? what morals do you have? how do you deal with relapse? how do you deal with rewards? where do you find peace? where do you feel stress? what’s important to you in life? how do you communicate with others? what’s your method or self-care? what’s your method of other-care? what do you dream about? when do you feel the most happy? what’s your favourite song from the 80s? how do you take on a new project? are you lactose intolerant? how do you sleep at night? do you believe in aliens? or in atlantis? are you learning to love yourself? or is your focus right now just to learn to talk yourself into showering?

YOU.

how you function. how your brain works, and how you survive through life. not what you have, what you can give or what your mama thinks of you.

YOU define YOU.

🎇resolutions are great, but change doesn't happen overnight! nobody's perfect, and it's important to celebrate our progress (it's part of the journey!)

Digital illustration of a brown woman with bleach blonde hair in a ponytail. She is wearing a navy sweater that reads, 'progress over perfection' and a green plaid skirt.

May you be released from the belief that you are not enough as you are. You are. You have always been.

Nikki Miles

Rest is not an indulgence or a reward. It is a basic necessity.

Man Ray - The Starfish (1928)

Reminder