I’m done waiting. I’ve spent so much of my life waiting. Waiting to lose weight. Waiting to feel motivated. Waiting for opportunities. Waiting to meet my future husband. Waiting to feel confident. Waiting for more money, more time, more energy... Waiting to feel ready. But I’m not waiting anymore. Not even for my scars to fade before going sleeveless. Why do we wait to show up until we’re fully healed? Until we feel presentable or perfect? Healing isn’t something to hide. Healing is human. Is it comfortable walking around with long, six week old scars down both arms? No. But comfort doesn’t make me feel proud. It doesn’t make me feel brave or confident. And it definitely doesn’t give me the chance to inspire someone else to show up as they are. Waiting is easy. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. It doesn’t ask anything of me. But growth? Growth is hard. It’s uncomfortable. It takes courage. Before leaving the house sleeveless— not only for the first time since surgery but also the first time in over 15 years—I brought my compression jacket with me, just in case. I wasn’t sure I could actually do it. I talked myself out of it and back into it at least a dozen times on the way to my event. But here’s what I’ve learned from doing a lot of uncomfortable, vulnerable, and scary things these past few years: I’ve never once regretted showing up anyway. I’ve only ever wished I’d done it sooner. I’ve only ever wished I hadn’t waited so long. Because if you never do something before you feel ready... If you never push yourself out of your comfort zone... If you never do it scared... You never get to experience what it feels like to be brave. And I don’t want you to miss out on that feeling. 💜