Someone I look up to recently said to me “Own it” and it has stuck with me ever since.

As we go about our journeys in life we are each creating our own memories, taking our own adventures, making our own mistakes, fighting our own battles all amounting to our own individual stories – each to our own! When we take our stories and merge it with another, our lives begin to form one big story, just with individual chapters! Our parents, significant others, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, kids, friends, and coworkers. Each of their stories somehow intertwines with ours. Our lives become a thread of stories.

Some are blessed, some are stressed. Some are happy, some are sad. Some are healthy, some are sick. Some rich, some poor. Some successful, some are not. Everyone has their own story, and their own struggles.

So many of us tend to deny our stories, and ignore our desires but what we don’t realize is, they are such an important part of who we are. Those who do not express themselves tend to remain lost in the crowd. Acknowledging our desires prevents our self-confidence from being deprived. Recognizing our story means discovering our inner self. If we try to live up to the expectations of other’s, we’ll always come up short. We each have different hopes, dreams, desires, wishes, and goals. Each of us has experienced our own hell. By owning every aspect of our stories, we offer a greater sense of where we stand with not only ourselves but with others.

‘Owning it’ has made me realize I need to devote more time to checking in on my own story. It’s such an important part of who I am. By owning who you are and what you want you are giving yourself and others the gift of being your truest self. Yes a gift, because that’s exactly what you are.

I’ve learnt that everything always seems to come in full circle. I am grateful for that. Without my struggle, I never would have starting writing. I began to write out my story as if no one would ever read it. I never would have discovered who really cared and who never did. I never would have discovered myself without my story.

I continue to find myself relating so much of my writing to my experiences. After a while I actually found myself trying to steer my writing in another direction. It wasn’t a complete fail, but it wasn’t the realest, truest me. My desire to write was coming from the stories that branched from my own experiences, my own hell- the words that reached the most.

It was in the moment I realized, why steer my writing in another direction? Because I am worried that people will think? ‘Oh here she is again, spilling her heart out?’ Who cares? I am proud of where I am. Why not take ownership for it? I’ve struggled but I've grown. I've reached people, met people, helped people, and made lifelong friends because of it.

It’s important that we all listen to our desires and share our experiences with others, as it will help heal us while inspiring others. When we tell our stories, we free ourselves and give others the motive to acknowledge their own story. If we each told our stories, imagine how many people would be able to relate and connect?

When we care what everyone else is thinking of us, we inhabit ourselves and begin to doubt ourselves to the point of making decisions based on others and second-guessing ourselves in all that we do. When we align the who to the what, we can then be who we really are.

Funny thing is, this person was only telling me to ‘own’ the fact that I wanted a burger, but boy, did I take so much more from it!

Live your lives, recognize your desires, and own your story; Embrace it. Share it!