break your glass slippers (You Are Your Own Fairy Tale)

by Amanda Lovelace

fairy godmother says you don’t need to look a certain way to deserve someone’s heart. no matter your shape— no matter your size— be proud of all the space your body dares to take up.

fairy godmother says some people are simply committed to being unkind, & it is not your job to convince them to change. all you can do is give them all the kindness you have, & if they don’t return it, then they aren’t worth your sugar.

fairy godmother says i don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but: their lack of love for you does not make you any less loveable.

fairy godmother says villains almost never look like cackling witches, cruel stepmothers, or bratty stepsisters. they’re so much quieter than that, & i think that’s what makes them so menacing. in some chapters of your storybook, you’ll find them hiding everywhere—even in the faces of those you hold dearest. they never reveal their true intentions until you’ve already trusted them too much, & just like that, everyone you know has turned into a stranger.

fairy godmother says without you here, the moon & the stars would fall. mountains would crack down the middle. castles would crumble into nothingness. books would burst into flames. it’s not time to go just yet.

fairy godmother says you are limitless. you can have the lipstick. you can have the sword.

fairy godmother says it’s not an easy thing to accept yourself the way you are. some people spend their entire lives trying to master it. but if anyone is strong enough to face the challenge, it’s you.

fairy godmother says he is not the standard by which you should be measuring your worth in this world. before he came along, you were a fierce wonder to behold. you will continue to be that long after he walks away from you.

fairy godmother says infatuation is not love, just like a love potion is only temporary & often causes more harm than good.

fairy godmother says you are not a thing that can ever be claimed, conquered, or irreparably ruined by someone else’s hands. he may like to think he wields that much power, but he doesn’t.

fairy godmother says people have a habit of telling on themselves; most of the time, by accident. you’ll see it in one wrong word, or how they react when they think no one’s looking. don’t ever take it lightheartedly, for there is always some truth in these moments. be sure to armor your kind, kind heart. be trusting, but be vigilant.

fairy godmother says you deserve so much more than you’ve been given, so don’t you dare forget to tend to yourself. take time to sweep your corners, dust off your bookshelves, shake out your rugs, & make your windows shine. create a safe space for yourself to go when it feels like the whole world has turned against you. it’s the only thing you’ll ever truly be able to count on.

fairy godmother says if they make it easy to lie about them to everyone around you, then that means something is very, very wrong. don’t ignore red flags— they’re the universe’s way of protecting you.

fairy godmother says despite what you have heard, being alone is not this great tragedy everyone makes it out to be. if nothing else, see it as an opportunity to reintroduce yourself to yourself. to relearn who you are today. to dream up all the people you would like to be for every tomorrow to come. above all, find the value that lies in becoming your own best friend.

fairy godmother says keep standing up for yourself. don’t let them get used to the idea that their opinions should rule you. you, my dear, rule yourself. you wear the crown. you sit on the throne. you—not them. make sure they never forget that.

fairy godmother says repeat after me: there can never be too much sky. there can never be too many dreams. there can never be too much coffee. there can never be too many stars. there can never be too much me.

fairy godmother says run far, far away from anyone who makes you feel like you have to give them parts of yourself you’re not ready or willing to give. doing this doesn’t mean you’re a tease, a prude, or ashamed. your body belongs to you & you decide what you do with it.

fairy godmother says there is nothing in this world like the relief of knowing that you owe answers to nobody & nobody owes answers to you in return. we need not tie each other into knots to please one another. we are free to choose who we welcome into our homes & who gets the privilege to stay.

fairy godmother says you will feel like you’ve made a mess of things, even when it’s not your fault. you will feel hopeless. you will feel helpless. you will consider giving up. it is then you must remember that you alone have the power to clean it back up again.

fairy godmother says get that head out of the stars. here’s a secret: your fairy godmother is inside you. you only need to believe in her for your every wish to come true. (no wand necessary.)

i am not my insecure nights. i am not my broken promises. i am not my messiest moments. i am not my bad decisions. i am not that little voice inside that whispers, “they hate you, they hate you, they hate you.” —i am so much more.

at first, self-love can feel like you’re trying to catch lightning in a bottle—next to impossible. i didn’t believe i could ever hold that much power in my hands, until the day i did. ever since, i’ve become a terrifying storm of a girl who will never settle for anything less than what she deserves.

when they tell me that i’ve changed, like it’s some personal act of betrayal on my part, i tell them, “i know. i’ve never been more proud of myself. i went from a single wildflower to a whole fucking meadow.”

strong is she who knows when she needs to lay her battles down to rest. strong is she who knows the difference between quitting & self-preservation.

you’re allowed to hold your family at arm’s length. family can be toxic. family can be abusive. family can belittle you, invalidate you, or make you feel unsafe. you don’t need to explain yourself to anyone who disagrees. —do what you have to do.

if you do it to protect your mental health, then it is not cruel, nor is it selfish.

i hereby grant myself the permission to not be strong all of the time. i also grant myself the permission to not be soft all of the time. i’m allowed to just simply be. —temperance.

wishing upon every shooting star isn’t the way your dreams will come true. taking your fate into your own hands is how your dreams will come true. so work hard. work harder. work even harder. —make it happen.