The voice in me

It’s true — on the other side of fear is a version of you,you will never realize unless you do it anyway.
Do it afraid, do it alone, do it tired, do it with whatever limited strength you feel you have. Do it anyway.
I was afraid to be me. I always thought I was too flawed and that the world wouldn’t understand. Kept myself in a cage of the expectations of others. But then one day, not on any big occasion or absolute turning point, I just decided to slowly allow myself to be me.
I don’t know if it was sheer exhaustion of performing or the genuine desire to find out if the room can adjust to me rather than adjusting to it all the time.
At first it only took a simple “no,” which later grew to a “perhaps let’s try it this way,” and now it’s a full, “Well, I will just be me regardless.”
I just decided. Despite feeling the pressure within and all the voices in my head screaming at me, but I didn’t give in. Little by little, I pushed the boundaries until I finally got free.
A couple of times I ran back into my little shell, but eventually, I found myself back again, building the me I always truly envisioned. I did it anyway.
Now I am me. And I love it here.