Dear Unsealers,

Someone once said in an interview that in order to have good mental health you should do something that makes you feel alive. Not just one day, but every day for every month. I found that answer kinda beautiful: not only because I could relate to it, but also because it’s one thing to exist in this life and it’s another to live it. You may be wondering what this has to do with nearly giving up on something you love, but I feel like the answer is fairly obvious: how can you ever be successful if you can’t even love yourself?

That’s a question that’s haunted me for years. I’ve always wanted to be a famous author, to work on movies and TV shows, and maybe even make a video game. I always thought I had what it took to accomplish these things, but my mental health began to set me back further and further. On the night of November 13th, 2023, my life was permanently changed. I didn’t know it then, but my anxiety was going to start crippling me: the right side of my body going numb as I struggled to move it, or taking my voice and locking it behind a failing mouth. It’s amazing how our mental health can transform our bodies into something unrecognizable – a scary new that you wouldn’t think possible, and yet somehow remain the same empty shell. I’ve been trying to nurture that empty shell into a human again, but it’s super hard once you let your body and brain give up on you. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to fight everyday in hopes of being better.

Life isn’t easy. It’s actually the hardest thing we’ll ever do. I want to say that you’re going to be alright and that your goals, ambition, and hard work will pay off, but in reality you’ll never be successful until you can love every inch of yourself. Don’t be afraid to look in the mirror and point out the things you love about yourself. Don’t be afraid to go out into the world while being too big or even too small. Learn to love yourself now and celebrate your wins, your losses, your achievements, your failures, and your flaws. If you can love yourself through anything, then you’ll be successful in everything. Every day, do something that makes you feel alive. Do it every day of every month.

I still plan to accomplish my goals of writing, filmmaking, and video game development. I still dream of the day that my name is out there and people are reading my books, watching movies I’ve been a part of, and playing games I’ve written storylines for. I hope that those of you who are reading this can one day join me in celebrating the life we’ve all worked hard to accomplish, and then maybe we can look each other in the eyes and know that we fought for our right to love ourselves no matter what others think or the setbacks we’ve faced. This is to self love. A powerful feeling that can take you past the stars, past the moon, and to somewhere far greater.