Crys,

Our lives are ours to live, no one else’s. Not your family’s, not your friends’, or otherwise. In the end, we must write our own stories, no? And, as you’ve implied, you want a beautiful one, yes? But how to get there? Where do we start? How can we achieve what others have?

My dear, ALL first steps are always scary. Is a master instantly a master or does he/she take years to hone their skills? Does a master know exactly his/her pursuit? Do masters never make mistakes? And, were not all masters once novices? While you’ve had a rough childhood and adolescence, please know that there are many who feel and think the same way you do regardless of their upbringing. The feelings of inadequacy, loss, fear, uncertainty, among others, are all normal at the age where countless doors with each their own set of difficulties are presented to us. In a sense, there should be no fear as this is what we’ve been trained for our entire lives, no? And yet, we can’t help but find the first few steps to be so overwhelming.

Crys, please know firstly that there is no rush to our destination. Beautiful scenery will continue to exist whether or not we rush, therefore, find comfort in traveling at a pace where you can absorb all the beauty. Also, do not worry if you feel you are moving slow. The important thing is that you’re rolling forward, no matter the speed. Please keep this in mind. You will hit bumps, as you are exactly supposed to, and hills and mountains but each conquest to their summits will yield a most magnificent view. And, so long as you examine your situations and learn from them you will find that you will always be moving in the right direction. Sure it may also be difficult to pick a path, however, if you learn to adopt new perspectives you may instead find that such limitless options are a luxury.

I hope this helps.

Al