I am a proud Latina, whom represents as much of my culture as I see fit. What does that mean? It means that I love most of my childhood upbringing experiences, as it has shaped me into the person I am today - a person I am proud of. However, I wasn’t always confident & able to walk with my head held high. I used to struggle with poor self-esteem, I connected my self-worth to how much I could accomplish & hid my powerful voice to fit in - all unhealthy ways of living. It took years of chronic mistakes to wake me up and “do” something different. Instead of looking towards the external world to love me, I turned inward and leaned into my ability to show myself TRUE self-love & compassion. This is where my life changed for the better. I believe this will be a life-long journey, as we consistently shift & change as life goes on. The only difference now, compared to my younger years, I know how to ask for help & guidance when I need it … I don’t need to walk this journey on my own. It’s not a sign of “WEAKNESS” to know when you’ve reached your limits … it’s a sign of authentic “STRENGTH.” My culture helped shape me but as some point I needed to let go of who I thought I needed/taught to be and embraced who I was always meant to be.