‘Fundamental to the way I am wired, is that I desire, deeply, to know people deeply. Likewise, I desire, deeply, to be known deeply…’

‘The unstoppable force being a deep passion and desire to be great, to be recognized for something, to achieve, to bring financial freedom and pride to my family. And the immovable object being an innate lack of initiative, having a persistent lethargic nature, and a very real lack of belief in myself.’

Though challenges persist, I diligently nurture my mental health by channelling my creativity each day. In this journey I’ve come to embrace not only who I truly am but also the excitement of what I can become in the future.

‘My identity was rooted in the unstable and fragile foundation of being ‘thin’ and therefore being attractive. I finally fit in, or so I thought. I needed constant validation, affirmation and praise to supplement the lack of self confidence and identity. I knew something needed to drastically change.’

“I’d like to be able to look back someday and feel confident that I threw myself into each experience wholeheartedly - that I saw as many sunsets, shot as many shoots, and rounded the Common as many times as I possibly could.”

“…Doing everything to implement these personal measures and boundaries is important to bring about the best possible version of yourself. At the end of the day this is also how we show up for others, by trying to look after ourselves first.”