In high school, I used to buy the most ridiculous clothing because it was “cool”. Hollister polos and Abercrombie jeans anyone? I listened to the music everyone else wanted…and for the record, country music was NEVER a joyful tune to me. I let others influence my opinion or vote -- even in presidential elections, went along with the plans of others, broke up with someone my group of friends found to be “unacceptable”. And one of the hardest ones to admit is that I would make fun of people because that was how others exchanged social capital and “connected” was through exclusion.

As an adult, many of these same pieces continued. From clothes, sharing my options, the work I did, and the perpetuation of busyness, shame, and fear-based thinking.