outgrowing doesn’t always mean letting go.

lately, i've been thinking about how much i've changed over the years.

i don't think i've become distant. i think i've just outgrown certain things.

the conversations i used to have don't always interest me anymore. the places i used to go don't always excite me. the version of me from a few years ago wanted different things than the version of me today.

that doesn't mean i love the people in my life any less.

sometimes growth just changes what fills your cup.

i'll always appreciate the people who have been part of my journey, even if we don't talk as often or our lives have gone in different directions. i don't believe every relationship is supposed to stay exactly the same forever, and i don't think that makes the love any less real.

i'm learning that:

it's okay to grow. 

it's okay to change. 

and it's okay to become someone your younger self never imagined.

i'm grateful for every version of my life because each one helped me become who i am today.

but enough with me for today lol, thxs for reading :)

gratitude isn’t competition kween.

the other day i caught myself thinking about gratitude in a different way.

someone i know was telling me how miserable they were, and my first thought was, “at least you still have someone to call.”

then i stopped myself.

because two things can be true at the same time.

someone can be grateful for what they have and still be hurting because of what they’re going through.

those things don’t cancel each other out.

it made me realize how often we compare pain.

we tell people, “someone has it worse.”

or we tell ourselves we shouldn’t celebrate because “someone else has it better.”

but maybe life isn’t meant to be measured that way.

gratitude isn’t a competition.

it doesn’t erase hard days, and hard days don’t erase everything we have to be thankful for.

lately, i’ve been trying to notice the things i usually overlook.

the ability to wake up.

the people i can call.

having a place to come home to.

being able to sit down and write whatever is on my mind.

reading a good book.

laughing until my stomach hurts.

those things aren’t small.

they’re parts of life that someone else might be praying for today.

that doesn’t mean i’m pretending everything is perfect.

it just means i’m learning that gratitude and struggle can exist in the same heart at the same time.

and i think that’s a perspective i want to hold on to.

✨ what my 30s taught me ✨

 my 30s have changed me in ways i never expected.

i’m 31 now, and one thing i can say for sure is that i’m standing on business when it comes to the people i let into my life.

there are no more “maybe they’ll change.”

no more trying to convince myself that potential is enough.

no more making excuses for people who don’t show up the way i need them to.

i’ve realized that protecting my peace isn’t being difficult. it’s respecting myself.

i haven’t had sex in over a year, and honestly, i’m okay with that. it isn’t because i don’t want a relationship. it isn’t because i’m lonely. it’s because i’ve stopped giving parts of myself to people who haven’t earned access to them.

my standards aren’t impossible. they’re just clear.

i don’t want someone who’s only around when it’s convenient. i don’t want to question where i stand. i don’t want to settle because i’m afraid of being alone.

i’d rather be by myself than spend my time with someone who makes me feel like i’m asking for too much.

the older i get, the more i realize that love isn’t just about chemistry. it’s about consistency, respect, honesty, and feeling safe with someone.

my love life isn’t a joke to me.

the people i let into my world matter. if i choose you, it’s because i genuinely see you as someone worth sharing my time, my energy, and my life with.

so if that means i have to wait a little longer, i’m okay with that.

i’m not waiting because i’m lonely.

i’m waiting because i’ve finally learned that the right people are worth waiting for.

♡ ✧