Dear Self. All the voices makes me who I am.

Dear Self,

When you waver and stumble.
When all you want is to run away from discomfort.
When the world is confusing and you've lost whatever path you were on.

Then remember that all of the voices in your head are there to fill a place.

They may be untimely, uncomfortable or rebellious. They may turn everything upside down, backwards and inside out. But the voices are there for a reason, and they're all part of you.

The different voices inside you will always be there.

The same way you found Creativity and your Inner Child hidden away deep inside of you, the same way will Doubt and Fear stay with you, forever.

All the parts, the ones that you love and the ones that drive you crazy, they all add up to what is you. 

To completely ignore one voice is to ignore a part of your Self.

You tried to shut out your Creativity, you hid your Inner Child, told your Heart no and ignored your Dream. You've fallen into the arms of Stress and turned away your Patience. Without those parts, you were lost, searching for something you didn't understand was you. 

But you've also tried to ignore Fear and Doubt, and it doesn't work. To imagine they're not there only makes them sneak up in ways you don't understand. They pretend to be something else, and trick you into following their course anyway.

No, the voices that are telling you to be someone you don't want to be, they will stay. They may turn silent and only pop out every now and then, when you're doing something particularly scary, but they will be there. Accept that.

The fears you have are part of yourself, they are built on experiences and stories, moments that add up to what made you you. If you are to live a spectacular life, you need to be okay with being scared.

To embrace Fear and Doubt is to see them for what they are, little parts of you that are insecure and frightened, and the best way to not let them steer your life is to get them right out in the open. Let yourself feel those feelings and keep walking anyway.

One voice should never take over.

We all have different parts that together add up to a balance. It's when you start to listen to only one voice, that's when you're in trouble.

If your Dream is the only one doing the talking, your life might turn into something your Heart doesn't want or Stress can sneak up and take over.

When Fear takes over, every other impulse comes second.

If Creativity runs the party, you might never find your Dream, because Creativity's attention may shift too quickly. 

They all fill a role, and while not every voice should be at the decision table, they add up to a balanced whole that you can manage.

You need to be embrace all the parts of your Self. 

Getting to know your voices has made your life better.

When looking deeply into the parts that is you, you can see how they affect each other and your life.

You see that Doubt makes your say no to things you want.
You see that Creativity brightens your life.
You see that your Heart connects you to the world.
You see that Stress takes away joy and balance.
You see that your Dream gives you hope and energy.
You see that your Confidence makes everything easier.
You see that your Inner Child makes you understand what matters.
You see that Patience makes you enjoy my life more.
You see that Fear keeps you small and perfectionistic.

You understand what they do if you aren't mindful about when to let them influence your decisions. You understand what you miss out on if you ignore them.

Getting to know your Self better makes you see what parts of you are in action, so you better understand what you need to change when life goes the wrong way.

Dearest Self, that's what you need to remember going forward. You need to keep checking in on the different parts that make up you, to see how they're all doing. To listen, balance and make intentional decisions on who you invite to the decision table. 

You know who you are, who you want to be and who the voices in your head are. Use that knowledge. Don't let Stress take away joy. Don't let Doubt say no. Don't let Fear stop you. The times of blaming the voices are over. You're in charge now.

You decide who you're going to be.

Fear my scream and Doubt may wail. But they're not making choices, you are. You can't ever get away from that responsibility.

It's tempting to let yourself get swept away by a whisper in your head, a simple solution, to do whatever the strongest voice screams. But you're not going to be the person who let's life just happen, or not happen. No, that time is over. Instead, you will listen to them all, intently, and then you will make the decision that will be best for the whole you. For who you truly are.

If you do that, I promise you this.

You'll keep writing, brave with a vulnerable heart.
You'll have light and you'll have darkness.
You'll live a life that is entirely yours.

And oh will it be marvelous.

With love,
Your scared little writer.