Being excited about this challenge, I was going to go all out and try to find an inspirational quote and write a generic hook about how I experienced adversity which, in turn, developed me into the person I am now. But hey, how this unfolds has already been predetermined in my eyes. All that to the side, before I share, I want to draw attention to how important it is to not only love who you are regardless but also know you are enough. Period. Point blank. This is a lesson that I had to unfortunately repeat time and time again until it hit me like a truck, and the memo finally planted the concept in my mind. The importance of having self-worth was something I struggled with, because in today’s world, a component of engaging with people has become ‘what can you—as a man or woman—do for them, and can you continue to keep doing it without displaying signs of vulnerability?’ Now, that can be a whole other topic for another day, so let me stay on point.

Hey, I don’t know who you are, and you don’t really know me—not fully. But I want to say while I have your attention, even if it’s just for this moment—thank you. Thank you for listening. This letter is for you, and it’s also for me. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come and a chance to recognize every step it took to get here, even the ones that hurt. Taking time to look back in retrospect, my subconscious or true self, without getting too deep, always tried to seep out during certain moments of my childhood where it took people by surprise or I was given a label.

As a child, this gave me the feeling that I had to hide this part of myself to be accepted by not only peers but family. It was like I had to trade a chunk of who I was at that time just to feel worthy. Worthy of what? To be honest, I don’t even recall how I felt at that current state, but I know how worthless I felt at that time. Back then, especially in the early 2010’s, that component was actually what made me whole. That’s where the silent war began, because how can you love yourself? How could I feel worthy when I’m consistently shrinking to conform to other people’s perceptions of who I am? So I created a fortress constructed from accolades, fables, titles, nonsensical claims, and a distorted representation of what I was trying to proclaim. But whenever it was time for battle or even a war, I had to stand my ground, prove myself, show I knew how to walk and talk. And I cracked instantly. Though another attribute I possess is the capacity to think and act quickly. This allowed me to win countless wars against those who tried to test my fortress, and I wouldn’t let them destroy what I created. Despite that, I wasn’t ready for the test I put myself through.

There was a day that fortress crumbled. The mending scars of war had come to their last leg, and eventually, that fortress was broken. My ego couldn’t bear witness to what happened. It was like I was stripped naked for all to see, but most importantly, for myself to finally see. To see that beneath all those layers, I was someone I couldn’t truly stand to be. I saw all the pretenses, and it was like looking at a stranger. All that effort, all that armor—and still, I wasn’t enough. The fortress wasn’t worth it, nor were the battles I fought or the sacrifices I made to keep it intact. Now, I don’t have many words left before it exceeds 800, so I’ll give you the short version. It took that moment for me to realize that I had no sense of self-worth, and it took a season, metaphorically speaking, for me to build self-esteem after almost two decades of living. Being transparent, I’m still strengthening the foundation of my new fortress. However, I know that the foundation, as it was supposed to be, is constructed from knowing that I’m enough simply by existing. I’m me, and that’s all it takes