Just be. That’s it. So simple, yet we make it so complicated. I had to do 3+ years of intense inner work to realize that being in fight or flight wouldn’t get me anywhere. I am light, I am love, I am music, I am whatever I want to be. The labels don’t matter. Simply being my authentic self, allows for others to be themselves. Now, how do I make a living by just being me? Guiding others to be themselves.

I share this as a reminder to anyone out there who might be going through a difficult time. Know that it’s temporary. Know that the stories you tell yourself are just stories that can be rewritten at any given day. Know that there’s always a way out — and music can help you get there. Music is not a gift that’s only for some people, it’s something we’re all born with. It’s a universal language. More than therapy, it’s an expression of our soul and a way to communicate our feelings and emotions. I believe it’s a human right to learn and play music.

I am no longer the girl who holds back worrying what others may say or think of her. I’m no longer the girl who wakes up still drunk on a Sunday telling herself “I’m never drinking again… and btw, what the fuck happened last night? I am no longer the girl who spends endless nights overthinking meaningless scenarios. I am no longer the girl who’s afraid of the unknown. I am no longer the girl who will allow a man to have power over her. I am now the woman who doesn’t even blink when people ask her who she is…

We are so quick to attach to labels. But that’s all they are, just labels. Our thoughts are stories, and most of the time they are not even true. Our thoughts and beliefs create our reality, so it is crucial that we consider how to rewrite the stories replaying in our minds. It starts with the mind and ends with the mind. Once we understand that we are both the problem creator and solver, life becomes a Nintendo game. Trust the process, level up and believe that you can beat the biggest baddest boss on top. You got this.

The moment you decide to trust and to go within and heal what needs to be healed then you can love. But until you’ve done the work until you can say that you truly love yourself and you’re not scared of being who you really are… You love all of the darkness and the shadows and the wounds and the trauma, the triggers and everything… all of the imperfections. All of the shitty things that happened to you. All of the stories. Once you can love that and let go. Then you’re on the right track. But if you’re always trying to be something else. And you’re always trying to be something more. And you think that there’s a point in life that you’re going to be healed — you’re wrong. Because healing happens when you love yourself.

Learning to be your most authentic self and loving every imperfection and flaw will help you realize that we are all the same, we are just programmed to believe we have to be more than that to be successful in life. The truth is your success depends on your own goals and dreams. Not the expectations of others or society’s guidelines. Success doesn’t equal happiness, and when we learn to embrace the process of failing and being imperfect, starting where we are, knowing it’s okay to not get it right the first time, we can achieve much greater things in life than if we remain stuck in the same place with our fear of failing. All it takes is that first step into the unknown, letting go of control and learning from every experience.