I Will Not Change for You to Love Me
I’ve spent too much time trying to be what others expect—softening my edges, quieting my voice, making
myself smaller just to fit into spaces never meant for me. I’ve questioned myself, wondering if I’m too
much or not enough. But I’m done with that.
I will not change for you to love me.
If I have to dim my light to make you comfortable, then you are not meant to stand in my glow. If I have to
sacrifice my happiness, my values, or my dreams just to be accepted, then your acceptance is not for me.
Love should not feel like a constant struggle to prove my worth.
I know I am not perfect, but I am real. And real is enough. I won’t apologize for who I am, and I won’t mold
myself into a version of me that pleases you but suffocates me. I deserve to be loved for me, not for some
watered-down version of who I think you want me to be.
So, I choose myself. I choose to stand tall in my truth, to grow because I want to, not because someone
else demands it. I will walk away from anything that asks me to trade my authenticity for approval.
And if that means losing people who can’t love me as I am, then so be it. Because I’d rather walk alone in
my truth than be surrounded by people who only love the mask I wear.