It's hard to guard your actions and reactions.
It takes an enormous amount of self-control and discipline.
However, it is always better than the alternative
of giving away your power.

I can't control what happens on the outside but I can learn to control what happens on the inside. We can learn to control how we react, how we think about things, and ultimately how we feel about things. We can learn to set boundaries on how much we let what happens outside of us, affect us. You can be emotionally vested in your life, while not allowing yourself to fall apart when things are difficult by deciding what you let past your barriers. It is not to say you will never have suffering, or that you should deny all suffering. Rather decide how much, and how long you will allow your own suffering. It's about reclaiming your power through personal responsibility. Accepting the responsibility you have to yourself. To look after yourself, to advocate for yourself, to seek the highest quality of life possible by controlling your state of mind to at least some degree. It's to be mindful of who you are and what you're doing and the affect of that on you.

Our behavior, our feelings, our self-worth, our abilities, and our actions are never hinged to that of another.-Akiroq

Practice being kinder to yourself. Practice celebrating your accomplishments. Practice complimenting yourself. Give your best effort and at the end of the day, smile at another day well lived. Have the best possible relationship that you can with yourself so that you don't end up standing in your own way. Speak kindly to yourself and about yourself. If you can't appreciate yourself, then you won't be able to accept when someone else does either. You deserve your own love.

Don't attach to expectation. Sure, keep faith and hope with you at all times. Have the best intentions, give your best effort, act with kindness and love. Just remember, no one has or can control the outcome. Even you may change your mind halfway down a path, and that's OK. It's the journey, not the destination.

Act, think, do, according to your truth, according to who you are, and who you want to be. Congruency matters. How can you escape when you betray your heart, your passion, your needs and your mind? There is no hiding. It will eat you alive. Even if it is difficult, even if it may seem impossible, stay true to yourself. No one can live this life but you. If you live your life solely for others but never for yourself, you will impair your ability to truly help others. Whatever is within us always seeps out through our words, actions and behaviour. If we sabotage ourselves by doing what we may think we are supposed to, according to others but not according to our own hearts, what will our children and loved ones think? What are we showing the world when we betray our very nature? Will others think this is an act of love or self-love? Worse still if others then attempt to mimic it and do the same. Would you want your child deeply unhappy because they were following what they thought they had to, what was expected? If you wouldn't wish that for your child, then don't wish it for yourself either. Be just as loving and caring to yourself as you would be to those you love the most. Learn to love yourself enough to allow yourself to dream, explore, follow your passions, and even risk failure. Follow the truths that are carried within the heart of your soul.