Andrea A. Atkinson-Perry

…Let me say this clearly: choosing yourself will unsettle people who benefited from you not doing so.  Setting boundaries is not just about saying “no.” It is about reclaiming ownership of your mind, your space, your energy, and your life…

…Some of us were taught, directly or indirectly, where we “fit” and where we do not. We learned to read cues, tone, posture, language, status, and to adjust ourselves accordingly. We learned that some spaces required permission. That some tables were not set for us. That some conversations were not ours to join.  And over time, we internalized it…

…But here is the truth I have come to understand: You don’t “arrive” at your dreams in one moment. You grow into them….

…Darkness is not always dramatic. Sometimes it is quiet. Subtle. It looks like exhaustion you cannot explain. It feels like disconnection, from people, from purpose, even from God. It sounds like silence when you try to pray. So how do we step out of it?..

…But what happens when that push to be obedient begins to conflict with everything inside of you? What happens when the very path you were told to walk starts to feel unfamiliar… uncomfortable… even untrue?…