When you give yourself the space to start over - you begin to realize that you are not a puzzle, but simply a blank canvas waiting for the stroke of a brush. Starting over does not mean failure nor does it mean being set back. You are not broken pieces that need to be put back together, you are art waiting to be created. Every self-limiting belief, negative thought, lost concept of being, is what will hold back the art from being created; from becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be. Starting over means forgiving yourself, forgiving others, acknowledging the past… and letting it all go.
	From this point forward your slate is wiped clean. When you feel the weight of the world fall off of your shoulders, everything else becomes a lot lighter. All-in-all it’s easier said than done, but you’re the one that controls your own outlook on your situation. Find the positives in the negative and allow yourself to see from a different perspective. If your mindset, habits, lifestyle, and self-perception aren’t aiding in your growth - take a step back, wipe your slate clean, and find your new starting point. Figure out where you would like to go and how you’re going to get there. 
	The great thing about life is that you get to choose how you show up in the world and what you do to impact the world around you. I’ll tell you firsthand that my personal circumstances, situations, and my relationship with myself continuously held me back - simply because I let them. Life is not supposed to be easy - but your growth, awareness, and motivation will change the things that you view as “hard”. At one point I knew that there was only so much that I could do to help myself on my own. Regardless of how much love, care, and energy I put into myself and my life - my anxiety would still get the best of me, and I would overwhelm myself for no reason at all. 
I decided to talk to a doctor about medications, and this time around I would actually stick with them. Fast forward and I can say that it did change my life. While I do not personally think that medications are the “problem solver” some people think they are - I do think the addition of some type of therapy or self-help skills, along with positive habits, and a sense of positive community on top of the medication (if prescribed by a doctor) to help with chemical imbalances, is something that will actually change your life. 
I can’t explain the love that I have found in learning about myself, stepping outside of my comfort zone and navigating my way through being a person. I look back at journals that I’ve filled, and being able to see my own personal growth and development is just amazing… I can’t even explain it. At sixteen, I never imagined living to see my eighteenth birthday. On my nineteenth birthday, I found myself crying in my bedroom out of gratitude and disbelief - I had held on long enough to see another year. I never thought that I would find purpose in life, or even just the courage to live life and give it my all.
The “do or die” factor hit my brain a little too hard and I knew that ultimately it was me that needed to change. Situations, circumstances, my starting point - none of it mattered. Showing up for myself gave me the strength to face my hurdles head on and eventually my perception of my situation, circumstance, and starting point changed. Instead of feeling ten steps behind, I felt like I was right where I needed to be. You have to be willing to change, willing to be wrong, willing to learn, and take action within your own life. Vulnerability is step one - once you start, don’t look back.