What happened to me? I’m not the same person I was seven years ago or five years ago or three. I’m a writer now. I’m a real writer with a blog, four self-published poetry books, a master’s degree, and a doctorate on the way. I’m not rich or famous or even supporting myself yet, but I’ll get there. I’ve got plans. I have goals and dreams and ambitions, and I’m not going to let anything or anyone stand in my way. There is enough time during the day to get to my top two or three priorities. I need to put the big rocks in first. I need to break everything else down into manageable pieces. I can do my reading, do my singing, laugh, play, work hard, and enjoy my life. I have friends now. I can learn to prioritize my relationships more than I have in the past. Today is a new day. It’s a fresh start full of fresh possibilities. I’m a different person today than I was yesterday. I can wake up tomorrow excited to pursue my life with all of my heart and all of my energy. I can take charge of myself. I can take control of my life and build it into what I want it to be. My past might have been filled with nay-sayers, but my present is full of cheerleaders. People believe in me now. I’ve never had that before. I was never able to accomplish anything on my own because the main people in my life shot me down and were unsupportive. Today, I get to choose to surround myself with people who lift me up and don’t put me down. Today is the day that I get to claim who I am and who I am becoming.