Snap. In the blink of an eye, I made a judgment. What was it based on? Hair, clothing, the place where we crossed paths, steady eye contact that felt like a dare. You look away first because I’m not going to. To anyone watching, it probably looked friendly enough. But from inside my skin, it felt like a challenge, not an invitation. And my internal narrative shot out of the gate like a thoroughbred at the Kentucky Derby. From that brief interaction, I built an entire story—about someone I...

This too shall pass. I said this to myself as I lay in bed—exhausted, empty, and completely out of motivation. Not the kind of tired you push through. Not the kind a good night’s sleep fixes. This was different. This was the kind of tired that whispers: something isn’t right. And for a while… I ignored it. Because on paper? I was doing everything right. Showing up consistently. Posting content. Trying to grow my business. Doing the things I thought I was supposed to do. I’ve always been a...

Photo by Paola Diaz Our identities hold incredible power over us—sometimes without us even realizing it. The stories we tell ourselves...