Thank you

 

This was hard for me to accept as a young woman; I was convinced that no one knew what was best for me. This last decade of my life, and especially now as I start to see the rewards of years of planning, I am thankful to all those who pointed out my mistakes. I am thankful for your judgment and for telling me I was wrong, for being harsh and deliberate when showing me that I was wrong.

Behaviour, as it is, is mostly subconscious, the reasons for that behaviour are often invisible to our critical minds and the conflict between desire and emotions make it all harder still to see. It was when I embraced my own blindness, and allowed others to reflect who I really was that I saw myself properly, that I saw who I needed to be.

My only advice to you now, as I move into unknown territory is to heed the warnings the world of experience gives you. Take the "I told you so" moments seriously, they can teach you more than you expect. Make the most of criticism, take the most from rejection, stop thinking that you know better and life will make more sense.

Thanks furthermore, to my detractors, to my opposition; to those who made this journey challenging and difficult - you tested my character - and as I overcame the obstacles you placed in front of me that character became stronger.