Gia Raquel

Photo by Jackson Benning

I. Giving up all your happiness and submitting to everyone else’s wishes won’t do you any good. It’s your life. You need to figure out how to live it. If you’re not happy, no one is really going to care. Fix yourself, take care of yourself.

II. Words are meaningless. Go out and do something. Fuck the people that tell you you’re too weak. That your voice doesn’t matter. Prove them wrong.

III. Fight. You don’t get your way by standing by. You fight and conquer.

IV. Learn when to let go. It’s okay to let people you love go. People grow, you grow, everyone changes.

V. Everyone craves something. You’re human, you have wishes, wants, desires. But don’t get them mixed up with your morals.

VI. You can have an abusive relationship with yourself. Empathy can be abusive. You don’t always have to take in everyone’s negativity. You suffering for their burdens will not relieve anyone.

VII. Remember good moments. Times won’t always be good. I live in the constant future and past. It is a rare and lucky time where I am able to experience the present as it is. I smile and laugh, knowing the day is over the moment I wake up. But it is the memories I keep that give me proof I have lived.

VIII. Write your life down, keep those details. You’ll thank yourself later. But it’s okay to let some things get lost. The good and bad will mangle with each other until they coexist as lovers in limbo. Some things are meant to be forgotten. Even the happy times.

IX. Nostalgia hurts like a bitch. She grabs your lungs and plants weeds around your ribs. You won’t be able to breathe. Hold the air in, you won’t have a lot by the time you survive. You’ll feel physical aches resonate. You’ll wonder why people ever said pain leads to strength.

X. You have so many soul mates in this world. You’ll find them. Search for them. They don’t know who you are. Change that.