5 years ago, you would have certainly not caught me entering a competition for art, never mind one were my name would be used, and I would have to attend a photoshoot! Not a chance, my answer would have been easy to make, a simple – no way! Nevertheless, who I am today, the me I battled hard to become, did submit a photograph to the competition! Don’t get me wrong of course, there was a lots of reservations before submitting, but I choose to enter because I desired to. A few weeks later and we get a call to let us know that Olivia-Shay and I had won!! We were both very excited and yes, we attended that photoshoot, where Liv was a total diva and we got some cute pictures too!
Moral of this is that – If I let my past own me repeatedly, I would never do the things I want to do, I would never have entered this competition and I would have felt disappointment in myself because I knew I wanted to enter. I pushed myself to do something that I was anxious about. I entered as I knew what I wanted, regardless of my worries. I have learned to do that over time, with progress each time because I accept my anxiety as a part of me, but I don’t allow it to define me. As anyone who suffers with anxiety knows, it may make a stance when it wants to, and I accept that but it does not mean I have to listen. I do me. I am extremely happy that we entered and super grateful to Hope Hub for the chance!
