Have you ever woken up and thought, "Is this really my life, or am I just living it for everyone else?"

We’re all told who we should be, how we should look, what we should feel. We’re given expectations from the moment we’re born: society, family, friends—all of them have a say in what kind of life we should live. But here’s the truth: You are the only one who gets to decide who you are.

For far too long, we’ve allowed others to shape our lives, to define our worth. We live for the approval of others, chasing after things that don’t even matter to us. But at the end of the day, it’s your life. Your choices. Your identity. Your story.

We can’t live life for anyone else. That’s not the way it was meant to be. You’re not just  here to follow someone else’s path. You are here to create your own.

But here’s what I want you to understand: It’s not about being selfish. It’s about knowing who you are and staying true to that. Yes, care for others. Love them. Support them. But do not lose yourself in that process.

The world often pressures us to conform, to fit into neat little boxes. But we were never meant to be defined by anyone else’s standard. You have the power to break free from what the world expects of you.

The truth is, when you start living for yourself, something powerful happens: you give others the permission to do the same. And that’s where the magic is. Because here’s the truth about people—we all wear masks. We all have sides of us we don’t show. But behind every “I” is a story that most of us will never know unless we take the time to look beneath the surface.

So I’m asking you—stop judging based on appearances, on what you think you know. Take a second to look deeper. See people for who they really are. They’re not just what they show you. They’re not just their actions, their words, or their mistakes. Every person you meet is a complex, beautiful story waiting to be understood.

And this isn’t just about the way we treat others—it’s about how we treat ourselves too. Stop letting the world define who you are. Look inside yourself, and you’ll realize that you have everything you need to build the life you want. Be yourself. Live for you.

Because at the end of the day, we can only control one thing: ourselves.