The Version of Me I Refuse to Betray

Good morning, beautiful souls.

Today’s entry isn’t polished. It isn’t curated. It isn’t for applause.

It’s for truth.

There is a version of me that I met in silence.

She showed up after the disappointment.

After the tears I didn’t post.

After the moments I questioned myself.

She is calm.

She is observant.

She does not beg.

She does not chase.

She does not over-explain.

And lately, I’ve been asking myself

Have I been honoring her?

Or have I been shrinking her to keep the peace?

Because sometimes the greatest betrayal isn’t what someone else does to you…

It’s what you allow after you know better.

There was a time I thought strength meant enduring everything quietly.

Now I understand strength means choosing differently.

Choosing rest when you used to choose chaos.

Choosing boundaries when you used to choose access.

Choosing silence when you used to choose reaction.

Growth feels lonely sometimes.

Elevation feels misunderstood.

Peace feels boring when you’ve been addicted to proving yourself.

But I would rather be misunderstood than exhausted.

So today, I recommit to her.

The disciplined version.

The healed version.

The woman who prays first and reacts second.

The woman who invests instead of impresses.

The woman who protects her energy like it’s currency.

I refuse to betray the woman I fought so hard to become.

If it costs my peace, it’s too expensive.

If it confuses my spirit, it’s not aligned.

If it requires me to dim, it’s not for me.

And that’s not ego.

That’s evolution.

Sip your coffee slowly today.

Ask yourself

Who is the version of you that you’ve met in private?

And are you honoring her… or abandoning her?

With intention,

Xoxo Mel