Take a minute to think about all the things you've said and all the things you've done.
If you put them all together,
it all adds up to one. One moment.
The moment you realize your mistakes
aren't failures. They're teachers.

There are so many differences
between you and I that, I can't help but wonder: could it ever be worth the effort
to try to find a way for us to see eye to eye?

You thought you'd left the days of make believe behind by the time you were nine.
And yet, years later, here you are
making yourself believe you'll be okay
so you can make your baby believe the same.
Somewhere along the way,
we seem to correlate imagination
with maturity.
But what if it has less to do with growing up and more to do with surviving?
What if it's a defense mechanism?

It may seem silly to believe
you can do anything
when someone's always been there
to tell you you can't.
It may seem foolish to believe in yourself
when it doesn't seem like anyone
believes in you.
It may seem cruel to let yourself believe
you can escape
or be more than your insecurities or mistakes. That you are more.
And, while it may seem impossible to save yourself,
while it may seem like it's too late,
stranger things have happened

Which is the mistake: to give or to take?
To close my eyes or stay awake?
Do you hide from yourself in the light
Or hide from people who hurt you in the dark?
Do you leave it behind
or try to reignite an old spark?
Do you surrender yourself in honor of your faith
Or do you believe in yourself enough to create your own fate?
The truth is, it doesn't matter how you answer because none of these options are mistakes.
They're choices. And, regardless of the outcome, it's not a mistake to make a choice.

You've been waiting for life to begin
not realizing it's already begun.
You've been waiting for love to let you in
only to realize you need to let love in first. You've been waiting for a chance to win
not realizing you've already won.
If you've gotten this far
and still haven't found what you're looking for, take a closer look around.
You might have had it the whole time.

I have decided that today,
I'm going to try.
I'm going to try to not be afraid
of what people say to me.
What they have to say about me.
My strategy is simple:
anticipate, accept, and understand.
If you anticipate someone will say something mean or disrespectful,
you can prepare yourself.
Then, if they do say something, you accept. Accept that's the way they feel about you. Finally, the most important part: understand. Understand that it is not your responsibility
to try to make them feel differently
or prove them wrong.
I did all this today hoping that tomorrow,        
you find the courage to try and do the same.