More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)

by Elaine Welteroth

This is for the first-generation college student plotting your way to the top, and every parent who wants to see you get there. Know that your dreams are valid and that you belong.

“When the world tells you to shrink, expand.”

“WHEN SOMEONE SHOWS YOU who they are, believe them. The first time.”

PSA: If your boyfriend has you sitting in the backseat for anyone but his mother, he’s not the one. Period. The end.

“When women affirm women, it unlocks our power. It gives us permission to shine brighter.”

“If you know what you want, ask for it. And be specific. You might just get it.”

Pause: If you ever find yourself walking on eggshells and contorting yourself into ill-fitting ensembles just to prove yourself in a relationship, run. Fast. And do not look back. He ain’t The One.

“Nothing good can grow if you don’t nourish your own soil.”

There is power in speaking your dreams into existence.

On the other side of fear is freedom—but you have to be willing to look it in the face.

This was real love. Real love that wakes up in the darkest part of the night to redirect you toward the light. Real love that calms every roaring wave inside you with a certain steadfast grace, powerful enough to remind you of your own strength.