I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I did learn to walk in Louboutins before I ever learned to walk away from anything that didn’t serve me.
It’s funny how life teaches us things in reverse. I could strut across a runway, balance perfectly on the edges of a tour bus in five-inch stilettos, and pose for cameras like I was born to be there. But knowing when to step away from things that chipped at my self-worth? That took time. That took falling—hard.
The Glamour & The Grit
There’s a misconception that confidence is just about the way you carry yourself—chin up, shoulders back, a well-placed smirk that says, I own this room. And sure, confidence has an aesthetic. But real confidence? That’s built in the quiet moments when no one is watching. It’s in the decisions you make when the cameras are off, the crowds are gone, and all you have left is you.
For a long time, I thought confidence meant enduring. Toughing it out. Smiling through situations that made me shrink inside. The wrong relationships. The wrong jobs. The wrong spaces. I stayed because I thought that’s what strong people did. I stayed because I confused persistence with self-respect.
The Turning Point: A Stiletto Epiphany
There was a moment—it always starts with a moment—when I realized that just because I could handle something didn’t mean I should. I was standing in a dressing room, staring at myself in a gown that I knew wasn’t me but was what people expected me to wear. A metaphor in fabric.
I stepped out of it. And then, in small but powerful ways, I started stepping out of everything that didn’t fit—relationships, projects, expectations that made me feel like I had to be less of myself to belong.
Walking away didn’t make me weak. It made me powerful.
Lessons in Walking Away
- If it costs you your peace, it’s too expensive.
- You don’t owe anyone an explanation for choosing yourself.
- Strength isn’t endurance—it’s discernment.
- If it doesn’t fit, stop trying to shrink yourself to make it work.
From Fear to Fierce
It took me years to learn that the walk away is just as important as the walk in. Now? I trust my stride. I know when to enter a space and when to leave it. I know that my worth isn’t up for debate, and I don’t barter my peace for acceptance.
If my life were an autobiography, that first line wouldn’t just be a clever hook—it would be the thesis of everything I’ve learned.
And if you need a sign to stop standing in places that don’t honor who you are, consider this it.
Strap in, stand tall, and if it’s time—walk away.
#Voguegenics #EmpoweredLiving #SelfWorth #Confidence #KnowYourWorth #LifeLessons #WomenWhoRise
