Dust Yourself off and Try Again

My inner dialog tells me, "Why bother?" "You’ll mess it up anyway." "Don’t even try."

I was taught to give up before I even started. That success was for other people — not for someone like me. For over thirty years, that belief ruled my life. I'd put my heart into something, then freeze, give up, or never begin at all. And when I did try and failed? I was met with shame, mockery, and silence.

But the last seven years have been a different kind of education — the kind I had to give myself.

I’ve learned that mistakes aren’t proof of failure; they’re proof that I’m human. I’ve learned that falling doesn’t mean I’m broken — it means I’m learning. Trying again doesn’t make me weak or foolish — it makes me resilient.

No one ever taught me how to self-soothe after mistakes. I had to learn not to scream at myself when I dropped the ball, not to crumble under the pressure of perfectionism. I had to become my own parent, my own comforter, my own encourager. And while I’ve lost relationships and missed out on opportunities along the way, I’ve gained something far more important:

Hope. Hope that my story isn't over. Hope that my voice can help someone else. Hope that I still have time to build the life I was always told I didn’t deserve.

So if you’re reading this in the middle of your own dark night — if you're hearing those old voices telling you to give up — I want you to hear this louder:

You can try again. You’re allowed to fail. You’re allowed to start over — ten times, a hundred times — as many as you need.

Because it’s not in the falling where we lose ourselves, It’s in choosing to rise again — every damn time —That we find out who we really are.

Aaliyah said it best: “If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.” I’m living proof that’s more than just a lyric. It’s a way of life.

No matter what you do, get back up and try again!