The Way Back Home

by Courtney Peppernell

For some people, having confidence comes naturally. They do not know what it is like to be without it. But for others, they’ve never known what it means to have even a drop of it. I will tell you what it is like, to second-guess everything that you do—it’s a racing pulse and a mind that never seems to switch off. It’s checking something over and over again and asking for someone else’s assurance even though you know you are good at what you do. It’s hearing so many good things about you, yet all it takes is one slither of negativity and you bring yourself undone. It’s never knowing how to respond to praise without wondering if the person even meant it. It’s still waters, wanting to let a current take you forward over moss-stained rocks and out into the wonder of the ocean but having an eternal fear that the ocean will spit you back out. That you are unwelcome. So, for every time you are given the chance to instill even a drop of confidence in another, do it. There is nothing more beautiful than watching someone build themselves piece by piece, embrace the current of their life, rush to the ocean, and find their freedom.