Phoenix of the Northeast- The Stella Bordoloi Memoir, Chapter 11- I Choose Me, Again and Again.

"Take a breath. Feel your feet on the ground, the weight of your own body reminding you that you are here, alive, and yours. Outside, the world will always have something to say about who you should be, how you should live, and who you should love. But in this moment, all that matters is the choice you make for yourself. I didn’t arrive here overnight. I’ve stood in rooms where my voice was ignored, where my needs were dismissed, where love meant abandoning myself just to be chosen by someone else. I’ve given away my seat at my own table more times than I can count. But the truth is — no one else can choose me the way I can. And every time I return to myself, I find more of the woman I was always meant to be. This is Chapter 11: I Choose Me, Again and Again. It’s about the messy, beautiful work of self-commitment. It’s about walking away from anything that asks you to betray yourself, even if it’s familiar, even if it’s hard. It’s about saying, ‘I am mine first,’ and meaning it. So, settle in. Pour yourself something warm. And let’s talk about the most important love story you’ll ever live — the one with yourself."