ADENIKE

I'M GROWING, I PROMISE.

[miseducatedmelanicmuse]

[miseducatedmelanicmuse]

[dafancyuhinspiration]

[fromhersoul]

[thequotespot]

“i wonder who i could’ve been if i hadn’t spent so much time just trying to emotionally survive.”

[feminineenergylife]

[wetheurban]

[ss-writess]

“The hardest part was pretending I was okay so you would not feel guilty.”

[thequotespot]

“It’s weird how people can carry entire storms inside them and still look completely calm.”

[briiilovesyou]

[sweetlyparfait]

princess rooms ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[theambitiouswoman]

You probably weren’t told to settle for less. You were told:

“be grateful for what you have.”

“don’t ask for too much.”

“relationships take sacrifice.”

“no one is perfect.”

“at least they didn’t…”

“you’re lucky to even have someone.”

“don’t be so picky.”

“you’ll regret it if you leave.”

“good things are hard to find.”

“just be patient, they’ll change.”

“love means sticking it out.”

“stop expecting so much.”

“other people have it worse.”

And slowly, your standards didn’t feel like standards anymore… they felt like problems

You weren’t told to be a people pleaser, you were told:

“be nice.”

“don’t make things awkward.”

“keep the peace.”

“think about how they feel.”

“don’t be selfish.”

“just let it go.”

“it’s not a big deal.”

“why are you so sensitive?”

“be the bigger person.”

“don’t start drama.”

“just say yes, it’s easier.”

“they didn’t mean it like that.”

“you’re overreacting.”

“don’t make everything about you.”

“be easy to be around.”

“no one likes difficult people.”

And without realizing it, you learned that being loved meant being low maintenance… quiet about your needs and easy to keep

You weren’t told to abandon yourself. You were told:

“don’t be dramatic.”

“you’re fine.”

“just ignore it.”

“stop overthinking.”

“it’s all in your head.”

“you’re too emotional.”

“calm down.”

“it’s not that deep.”

“you’re making it bigger than it is.”

“just be positive.”

“don’t dwell on things.”

“shake it off.”

“you’ll get over it.”

“focus on the good.”

And slowly you stopped trusting your own feelings… and started questioning your own reality

You weren’t told to shrink yourself. You were told:

“be humble.”

“don’t show off.”

“not everything needs to be shared.”

“be lowkey.”

“don’t make people feel bad.”

“you don’t need all that attention.”

“stay grounded.”

“be chill about it.”

“don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“act normal.”

“not everyone needs to know your business.”

“be modest.”

And over time your confidence started to feel like too much… and your light started to feel like something to dim

[wetheurban]

You can’t teach empathy, consideration, and emotional maturity.

[wetheurban]

You owe it to yourself to move on and make healthier choices.

[pisces-core]

[pisces-core]

[icaseybaybee]