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natalyamonyokwrites submitted a contest entry to
Why Are You Worthy of the Utmost Respect? 5 months, 1 weeks ago To Be Alive
NatalyaI used to talk a lot. I’d do anything to keep the conversation going, to not be alone. If there was a lull, I’d say things like, “really?” or “wow” or “oh,” on and on. A filler. That’s all it was. Filler words had a hidden meaning to them; they begged, on hands and knees, and said, “Keep talking to me I can’t lose you I’d talk my throat dry if it meant you always had something to respond to.”
I’m not scared to lose anyone anymore. I’m only scared of letting the wrong ones in.
People come and people go. If I am the ocean, then I have to be mindful of what floats my way; everything either adds to my ecosystem or tries to destroy it.
It is not so terrifying to be alone, after all, because peace is more important than all else.
To be respected, you must not let anyone disrespect you again, because at the end of the day, the only one you’ll have to answer to is yourself.
To define what exactly it means to be worthy of respect is tricky. You could mention achievements or accolades, popularity, goals attained, money earned, but even that is worthless if you don’t have heart.
Who did you love and why?
Were you brave enough to bare your soul?
Did you protect the innocent or did you step on the good guys as a means to an end?
Did you fight?
Are you still fighting?
Fighting to live, to seek justice, to prosper, to be free?
I deserve the utmost respect because I am a survivor. Because I chose life. Because I will never stop fighting. Because I refuse to just be “alive.” Because I will become life.Voting is open!
Voting ends September 1, 2024 12:00pm
Natalya, This is beautiful! I love this line: “I’m not scared to lose anyone anymore. I’m only scared of letting the wrong ones in.” You have nothing to prove to anyone and you don’t need anyone to be your friend. Just keep being you, and keep those standards high. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for being part of The Unsealed family. <3 Lauren
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Your piece is truly exceptional, thank you for sharing it!
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Natalya, you are absolutley correct! You do deserve the utmost respect. I read this twice and I nodded my head in agreement with each request. Because why shouldn’t we get good respect especially if we ourselves are putting good out into the atmosphere! My favorite line, “If I am the ocean, then I have to be mindful of what floats my way; everything either adds to my ecosystem or tries to destroy it.” I felt this deep into my own abyss. Some people, places and things have been pollution and for that I am now too going clean. Thank you so so much for sharing! 🙂
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Hi Natalya, Aiša here. Thank you for having heart–for sharing that very special heart of yours with all of us here. I was compelled to write back and let you know that I respect you, wholeheartedly. I too used to talk a lot. There were times when I would have done everything in my power [just] to keep the conversation alive. If it meant I wouldn’t be alone, sign me up…anything goes! And if it meant I wouldn’t *feel* alone, I’d have sold my soul. But I’ve since made peace with that part of myself. It served its purpose at a time when I didn’t know any better. And now that I do, the thought of keeping myself company isn’t so scary after all. I’m learning how to be there for me and in doing so, this thing called self-respect has grown exponentially. No more begging on hands and knees for someone to talk to me 🙂 Thank you dearly for inspiring me <3
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