Chapter Eleven: Written by Aisha

Name: Aisha
Age: 27
Ethnicity: Indian-American 
HR Professional / Pastry Chef
Location: New York
Instagram: @akhansia / @yung__pastry (two underscores)

2020 REFLECTIONS

had this very powerful conversation with some peers recently. the questions posed were:

1. what is one thing you are leaving behind in 2020?

2. what is one thing you gave birth to in 2020?

so it goes. for me, it was one in the same. the first had to happen in order for the second to be born. but did the first one ever really die?

yes. it did.

so it goes. 2020 has brought so much emotion. i won’t list them all just yet. there's too many and i only have 500 words. 

just kidding.

the things that my peers shared were so open and honest and vulnerable, yet bold. 

the energy was powerful. 

it was so inspiring to be a part of that conversation, and feel that energy radiating off of them. 

and feel their words resonating within myself.

for me, I’m leaving behind my life in the shadows 

and stepping into the light.

letting go of my masked self

and giving birth to my true self. 

letting go of doing things to please others in a way that allows no room for me to have space to do anything for myself. 

letting go of feelings of inadequacy, which then result in feelings of fear.

letting go of things that don’t serve me

that don’t nourish my mind, my heart, my soul.

letting go of relationships

releasing oneself from any old, open wounds

allowing oneself to breathe. 

deeply.

and welcoming a birth!

welcoming myself with myself. 

meeting myself for the first time. 

seeing myself for the first time. 

i am beautiful.

i am worthy.

i am kind.

i am human.

i am only human.

but i am also me.

i have so much knowledge to share.

i have so much love to give.

i have so much joy to spread.

i owe it to myself now.

i’m not doing this for anyone else 

but me.

does that change how we behave?

if i’m not doing this for the praise of others,

what's the point?

you wanna know what the point is?

the point is that

we owe it to ourselves.

2020 has shown me that i owe it to myself

to be my truest self 

at all times.

we are all worthy of loving and being loved.

and that also includes loving ourselves

so fiercely 

that no one can question who you are. 

because the only person you are is you.