Clarity Brings Peace.

Knowing/being certain is an underrated flex.

Here’s why:

Knowing what you stand for brings peace (of mind).

For a long time, I had no idea what I stood for, meaning I didn’t know what I valued and believed in.

I thought I had a pretty good idea, but when my life came to a point where nothing was going right, I was challenged to think about it.

I was challenged to think if my actions really aligned with what I said I believed in.

I was challenged to think that if my actions don’t align with what I say I believe in, then what do I actually believe in?

During this time, I spent a lot of intentional time alone getting to know myself.

I’m so glad I took the time to explore the world within me because I got to know myself in a way I never thought I could.

It brought a lot of clarity about what I genuinely value and who I want to become.

I learned I’m not driven or motivated by material things.

For a while, I tried to motivate myself to do things for the physical gains of it, but I never followed through, and this was why.

I learned I work best when I enjoy what I’m doing.

I learned I care about my impact and fulfilling my purpose on this earth.

I learned I wanted to make a difference. However, it looks like.

Learning all of this about myself brought me peace of mind.

Knowing or having an idea of WHERE YOU’RE GOING brings peace.

Because I wasn’t sure what I stood for, I had no idea what I genuinely wanted to pursue.

Unfortunately, by the time I decided to get to know myself intimately, I had already graduated from college with a degree I had no idea how to use (and plenty of student debt).

It was during the pandemic that I started discovering the ways that I want to express myself and possibly create a career from it.

Writing is one of those ways.

I started writing April of 2021, and I have continued since because writing isn’t just a means to make money for me.

It’s also the method I prefer to express myself. It’s a way to organize my thoughts, ideas, dreams, etc.

Writing has become a significant part of my life, and because of that, I want to pursue a career, side hustle, side job, or whatever you want to call it.

I want writing to become a way I can provide for myself and my future family because I believe it’s one of the ways I’ll be able to make a difference.

This year, I’m also trying to see if I can follow a similar direction with YouTube (check out my channel if you want to get to know me outside of Medium!).

Before, I had no idea what path I wanted to follow.

I simply went to college because I didn’t know what was next, and everyone around me kept telling me that’s what was supposed to be next.

But after taking the time to explore other avenues, I’ve finally found (more or less) the direction I believe I’m meant to go.

The funny thing is how at peace I feel knowing it’s only a matter of time before I make a career out of all this.

I don’t plan to stop writing. I don’t plan on going anywhere (unless God points me in that direction).

Knowing this gives me clear direction. And clear direction brings me peace of mind.

Knowing or having a clear idea of WHO YOU ARE brings peace.

All of this sums up knowing perhaps the most important thing about yourself: who you are.

For a very long time, I was unsure of who I was, who I wanted to become, where I was going, what I wanted, etc.

I started figuring out all of those things once I started learning who I am.

I did this by asking myself hard questions like: who are you now? Describe that person. Are you happy and proud of that person? If not, what will get you there?

Who do you want to become? Describe that person and how they are.

What do you value? What do you genuinely believe in?

All of these questions, over time, helped me figure out who I am and who I want to be.

Most of my teens and early twenties were spent wandering aimlessly.

Thankfully, life’s hard knocks woke me up.

I’m thankful for all of life’s challenges because every single one of them has opened my eyes to many realities I didn’t want to accept and were holding me back (unbeknownst to me).

Fortunately, I gathered the courage to see people, places, and circumstances for what they were, and realizing this wasn’t what I wanted to align myself with (because it wasn’t part of who I wanted to be) brought me peace and clear direction.

It’s been hard transforming myself and my life.

But I regret none of it because I finally feel like I belong.

I’ve learned to love and accept myself, and I’m thankful I worked hard to grow and change.

Past me would be so proud because I truly did change and improve my life.

My younger self is now at peace because I now know who I am.

If you’re not there already (or close), I hope you’re on your way as well.