I’ve always done what other people want me to do, always compromising or giving in. I’ve never been one to want to cause any disagreements so I’ve always gone with the crowd, let others make decisions. But this year I’m changing that. I realized that I’m not allowing myself to fully be who I can be, plus I never get the things done that I want to do. This sounds so selfish when I write it.

I finally said no to a week’s vacation that involved hiking on a remote trail with no facilities and potentially bad weather. It surprised me as much as it surprised my friends. My friend told me she’s noticed the changes in me, that I’m like ‘night and day’, and she likes it. She said it’s nice to see I finally have a voice.