What keeps you going?

When the road gets bumpy because it inevitably will, where do you turn? What helps you keep moving one real or fake foot in front of the other? Have you found your North Star yet? The one that guides you when all the lights in your world go out. If you've ever looked in the mirror and lost your damn mind, you know sometimes we don't even need outside sources to sabotage our path. We can do it all on our own.

Music has always fueled my soul. I cry, laugh, sing, and dance it out when things get messy. There is nothing quite like finding a spot to sit by myself, pop in my headphones, turn the volume all the way up, and make time stop for a little while. Music reminds me that whatever I'm feeling is an opportunity to make something beautiful. Art from the pain. And just because you aren't musically inclined or good with a paintbrush, don't think that the person who emerges from the ashes of your trauma isn't art because there is nothing quite as beautiful as being bruised and scarred by life and still fighting for happiness.

My North Star is, well, it's me. My self-love and desire to remain authentically myself despite all the noise telling me I'm not good enough. Self-improvement doesn't mean changing at your core; it just means growing into your truest self. So when I put in the work to better myself, I am only becoming more and more myself, the person I was always meant to become.

Knowing who you are and having a loving relationship with that person will always be the tallest stepping stone when you feel you've hit rock bottom. When you feel a bit unsteady, like the ground is shifting underneath you, remember the earth was meant to spin, chaos is part of its beauty, but when you need a moment to collect yourself, there will always be your "Mental Health Check" Spotify playlist to add to the mix of your support system. It will never judge you, and as long as you keep remembering to plug your phone into the charger before bed, it can provide you with musical therapy for hours on end.