quiet too long...

I have remained quiet for too long. I chose to walk the middle road. I chose to bite my tongue. I chose, for way too long, to sacrifice myself in the name of not rocking the boat. I'm done being who everyone else wants me to be. I'm done caring what others think of me. Staying quiet changed the world around me. Not in control over my own environment, I destined myself to live a lie. I let others decide what I would say, what I would think, what I would believe... not because I was weak, but because I was too strong. Too strong to question faith... too strong to consider those I was surrounding myself with... too strong to be seen as weak. But growth is not a weakness. Being true to yourself is not a weakness. Choosing to be surrounded by positive, uplifting and intelligent people is not a weakness. What I thought was strength... THAT was a weakness. Taking back me has required more strength than I ever imagined I had inside me.

Here I am, like it or not. I'm speaking up and speaking out.