For the Girl Who Just Wants to Express
I’ve always been overly critical of everything I do — from writing a simple Instagram caption to giving honest feedback at work. Even today, I was hesitant to write this piece. I kept asking myself:
What’s really holding me back? Why am I procrastinating? What exactly am I so afraid of?
The chatter in my brain kicked in immediately with its usual questions:
What if no one reads your blog?
What if people judge you for your thoughts?
What if you make a spelling mistake? What if your grammar isn’t perfect?
What’s the point of sharing your mind anyway — how will it benefit you?
I’ve grown up with these self-critical questions — they’ve been my inner soundtrack for as long as I can remember. Being raised in a family where the biggest concern was “log kya kahenge” (what will people say), these fears have taken root deep in my subconscious.
But I’m slowly realizing — this very mindset is what’s keeping me from creating what I truly want.
Yes, maybe no one will read what I write.
Yes, maybe someone will judge me.
Yes, I’m human — I’ll make mistakes.
And yes, English is just a language, not a measure of my intelligence.
And maybe what I write won’t make me money or build a career — but the desire to simply express myself is enough.
I’ve forgotten the inner child in me — the one who once did things just because she wanted to. Who didn’t need a logical reason or an end result? I’ve silenced her in the name of being "practical." But not today.
Today, I want to give her a little stage again. Even if I have nothing particularly brilliant to say — even if all I share are these quiet, inner musings — I’ll share them.
Not for validation. Not for applause. But to remind my inner child:
Maybe it won’t be perfect. Maybe it won’t be profound. But it will be mine. And for now, that’s more than enough.