Becoming Her

The truth is, there’s a big difference between pride and self-confidence.

Pride, the kind that people warn you about, is rooted in ego. It boasts. It needs to prove. It needs to be right. It places itself above others.

But self-confidence? That’s rooted in truth. It’s quiet and steady. It doesn’t have to be loud, because it simply knows. It knows what you’ve been through. It knows what you’ve healed. It knows what you’ve overcome. And it refuses to apologize for that growth. Let me be clear: it is not arrogant to believe in yourself. It is not arrogant to speak up. It is not arrogant to take up space. It is not arrogant to know your worth. It is not arrogant to walk into a room with your head held high, knowing damn well what it took to get there.

What is dangerous is living your whole life shrinking. Apologizing for your presence. Dimmed down by other people’s discomfort. Trapped in the idea that humility means pretending you’re small or unworthy. That’s not humility. That’s a lie. Confidence is not the enemy of character. Confidence is the companion of calling.

You are allowed to know who you are. In fact, you need to. Because if you don’t know your worth, the world will try to sell you its version of who you are. And that version? It’s usually cheap, limited, watered-down, and shaped by someone else’s insecurity. So no. I’m not going to stay in the prison of “I’m nothing.” I’ve lived there long enough. I’ve decorated the walls, memorized the cracks in the floor. And I’ve decided it’s not where I belong. You don’t belong there either.

If something inside you has been stirring..telling you it’s time to rise, to stop downplaying your magic, to finally believe that your voice matters, then let this be your confirmation: You are not full of pride. You are full of purpose.

And it’s okay to own that.