I Want To Be The Best Of Me

I Want To Be The Best Of Me

I want to be the best of me,

not flawless, not admired.

Just honest when I look inward,

and proud of what I tried.

I am tired of chasing approval,

from people unsure themselves.

Leaving pieces of my spirit,

on invisible shelves.

I want my voice to sound steady,

even when fear is near.

To speak my truth without apology,

to live without pretending here.

I have bent and reshaped myself,

to fit into spaces too small.

Mistaking survival for happiness,

answering every call.

Being the best of me means learning,

when to walk and when to stay.

Understanding my own worth,

even on my worst day.

I want to forgive my younger self,

for not knowing what I know now.

For choosing silence over peace,

for forgetting how to bow out.

Growth is not loud or sudden,

it happens quietly inside.

A slow unlearning of shame,

a refusal to hide.

I want to be the best of me,

not someday, not eventually.

Right now, flawed and learning,

bravely, intentionally.