When Confidence Isn’t Enough

And you still long to be loved

“A Whisper of Who I Was” by Author

You know your strength.
You see it every time you rise.
Every time you set your mind to something — and follow through.
Failure isn’t the end for you. It’s fuel. It’s growth.

You’ve earned every inch of your confidence.
But sometimes, that confidence still whispers:

“Am I only safe if everyone approves of me?”

The body remembers

Even when the mind is strong.
Even when you know you’re enough —
there’s a part of you that still wants to be sure.

That wants to feel held, seen, adored.
That thinks:
If everyone loves me, nothing can hurt me.

But love isn’t always kind.
Sometimes it’s conditional.
Sometimes it’s weaponized.

And so you learn to perform.
To please.
To meet everyone’s needs before your own.

Like a modern-day Cinderella —
working behind the scenes,
hoping the world will see your worth
before the clock…