Sister, can I be honest with you for a second?

I don't always like what I see in the mirror. I don't always believe in the woman staring back at me.

Sometimes the internal voices run rampant, creating highways and byways of self-doubt in my mind. They become heavier and heavier. Louder and louder until it echoes so loudly in my mind that I can't shake the screams.

You are not enough.
You're not a good mom.
You'll never get it together.
You've let yourself go.

And, those phrases? They're loaded. Seeped in guilt and unmet expectations. They erode slowly. Chipping away little by little, leaving you exposed.

Then what do I do? I succumb to the voices. I let the negative talk win. I give in and buy into the idea that I am somehow falling short. I let numbers and opinions. Expectations and comparison define me.

But, sister - it stops now. Do you know why? Because those expectations I'm seemingly falling short of? They're not mine to carry.

Of course, if you are truly unhappy with something, by all means - change it. Own it. But, if you are letting the opinions and expectations of others carry weight on your own worth? Well, that's on you too.

That one stung a little, I know. But, sis I say it with the utmost love and conviction. I say it to wake you up and shock you into reality.

Because NO ONE gets to tell you how far you can go or what you are capable of. NO ONE gets to tell you how to live your life.

So, what are you doing? Why are you letting them? You would never talk to a friend the way you talk down to yourself. Let it go. Put down the guilt. Put down the fear of failure and unwanted expectations and see yourself for everything that you are.

Because that woman staring back at you? She's fierce. Do you see it? And more importantly do you believe it?

Sis hear me.

You define your own life. Not your mother in law, or your grandma. Not your co-worker or your neighbor across the street.

YOU do.

I know there are hard times. I know there are moments that break us and bring us to our knees. I know we doubt and question whether we are getting any of this right, but never doubt who you are. Never bend yourself backwards to fit someone else's ideal.

Reality? We are all imperfect. It's OK to be a hot mess. It's OK to be flawed. Stop chasing perfection and exhausting yourself to reach something completely unattainable.

If there is one thing I have learned from watching the women in my life, it's that we are resilient. We are a force. A force of grit and determination. When times get hard, we don't cower; we don't hide. We RISE. When the tears won't stop, and we feel as though all may be broken, we piece it back together brick by brick.

You are the house. You are the foundation. Stop letting guilt and opinions chip away at your truth. When the voices run rampant in your mind ... stand up.

Stand up and tell yourself - I AM WORTHY.

Believe in your capabilities and your own strength. Protect it. Fight for it. Because there is no one more fierce than the woman staring back at you.