It's strange how often you feel like an imposter every step of the way. No matter how much you show up as your truest self, you still feel like a fraudlike at any moment, you'll be exposed. They will see you for what you fear you are: a hollow, empty shell that has spent a lifetime trying to be perfect. So, you stay where you are, never daring to leap. Because if you fall, they will see your flaws and imperfections. You remain here-comfortable yet stagnant —afraid of what might happen if they don't accept you. What if they find you unworthy? What if they decide you're not enough? That's why you keep yourself hidden. But what does it even mean to be your authentic self? And what if, when they see it, they find it unbearable? So you choose the mask. Because the risk of them confirming your worst fears is too great. It's a battle so many of us fight every single day —a constant shift between feeling confident in who you are and then suddenly believing you are a failure, undeserving of the good things coming your way. But how do you break this curse? Maybe it starts with learning to accept yourself first.