Anything about Everything

I don’t need a lot of friends. I need honest ones. The kind who tell you the truth — kindly. Who don’t flatter you just to keep the peace. Who don’t disappear when things get uncomfortable. A meaningful friendship isn’t loud. It’s consistent. It’s knowing your name isn’t brought up in rooms you’re not in — unless it’s defended. It’s being able to disagree without the relationship feeling fragile. It’s accountability without humiliation. It’s selflessness. Not dramatic. Not performative. Just the quiet kind. Taking turns. Making space. Listening without waiting to talk. It’s conversations that don’t revolve around other people. It’s maturity — knowing not every thought needs an audience. Not every story needs repeating. Not every opinion needs to be shared. Real friendship feels safe. Not because nothing hard is ever said — but because you trust the intention behind it. It’s mutual effort. Mutual respect. Mutual growth. Not convenience. Not prox...

  The life I live now isn’t flashy. But sometimes, in the quiet, it feels surreal. A steady marriage. A home that feels safe. Friendships that don’t feel complicated. A body that’s getting stronger because I decided it would. Five years ago, I hoped for stability. Not excitement. Not chaos. Not intensity. Just steadiness. And now I wake up in it. There are still goals.  Still growth.  Still things I’m working toward. But the foundation? It’s solid. The peace I used to think I had to earn? I wake up in now. And sometimes I catch myself in small, ordinary moments — folding laundry, making dinner, sitting on the couch after a long day — and it hits me. This is it. Not the loud dream. Not the dramatic one. The steady one. The kind you build slowly. The kind you protect. And the kind I’ll never take for granted again. And I WON’T 

  Five years ago, I needed reassurance more than I realized. I second-guessed myself. I over-explained. I tried to make sure everyone was comfortable — even if I wasn’t. That showed up in my friendships, too. I needed validation. Needed to know I was included. Needed to feel chosen. Now? I don’t need constant affirmation. I just need to know I’m respected. That I’m not being discussed in rooms I’m not in. That the loyalty is mutual. Five years ago, I confused chaos with passion. Busyness with importance. Attention with connection. What feels different now is quieter. I trust myself more. I don’t rush decisions just to ease tension. I don’t panic when things get uncertain. Five years ago, I wanted to be liked. Now I want to be aligned. I don’t need every room to approve of me. I don’t need every relationship to stay. I don’t need to prove that I’m strong. I just need to be steady. I’ve stopped chasing intensity. I choose peace — even when it’s...

  I will absolutely hype you up first. New haircut? Elite . Big move? Bold . Trying something that scares you? Already proud. Encouragement, to me, starts with reminding you that you’re capable. Now — I will say — in the past I’ve been accused of being toxically positive . Which… fair. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. There was a season where my instinct was to immediately fix, reframe, silver-line everything. I’ve learned that not every hard moment needs a motivational quote. Sometimes encouragement is just sitting in it with someone. Letting it be heavy. Letting it be frustrating. Letting it be unfair. I don’t rush people out of their feelings anymore. I listen. I validate. I ask better questions. And then — when the timing is right — I remind them who they are. I’ll remind you of what you’ve already survived. Of the strength you downplay. Of the growth you can’t see because you’re living inside it. Encouragement isn’t pretending it’s easy. ...