I once trembled at the thought of rejection,
Until I learned the gentle art of never turning away from myself.
I once feared abandonment,
Until I discovered the steadfast companion within—
A presence that would never leave.
I once carried the weight of others’ opinions,
Until I realized they were but whispers,
No heavier than my own voice,
No more powerful than my own truth.
I once mourned painful endings,
Until I saw them for what they truly are—
Secret doorways to beginnings yet unseen.
I once hid from the fear of seeming weak,
Until I witnessed the quiet, unbreakable strength
That lived in the marrow of my bones.
I once shrank beneath the idea of being small,
Of being unimportant,
Until I touched the vastness of my own spirit,
And recognized the power that was always mine.
I once flinched at the thought of being called ugly,
Until I learned to see myself with loving eyes—
To honor the beauty that is uniquely my own.
I once dreaded failure,
Until I understood it as a mirage—
A lesson dressed in disguise,
A teacher in the school of growth and grace.
I once despaired in my lowest moments,
Until I realized they were fertile ground,
The birthplace of brilliance,
Where transformation quietly blooms.
I once resisted change,
Until I embraced its wild, inevitable dance—
A reminder that nothing is permanent,
And every moment is a fleeting, precious gift.
I once feared solitude,
Until I learned the joy
Of my own company—
The richness of being at home within myself.
I once doubted my uniqueness,
Until I claimed it as my greatest gift—
The wellspring of my singular greatness.
I once shuddered in the darkness,
Until I remembered:
I am the light.
And I once feared life itself,
Until I remembered—
I am life.
I am possibility.
I am enough.
Reba Nietert 