POEM: Redefining You

Not every opportunity is for you. 

Not every job is for you. 

Not every house is for you. 

Not every car is for you.

Everyone will not like you. 

Every open door is not meant for you to walk through.

But what is for you will never miss you. 

What is for you will never overlook you. 

What is for you will always find you.

I am not defined by my past. 

I am not defined by my sin. 

I am not defined by my mistakes. 

I am not defined by my skin.

I am not defined by my social media following— 

not by likes, shares, retweets, comments, or algorithms. 

I am not defined by internet noise or online opinions.

I am not defined by how many times I’ve fallen. 

I am not defined by failed relationships. 

I am not defined by lessons learned the hard way.

I am not defined by money earned, lost, or chased. 

Not by my height, my weight, my shape, or my appearance. 

Not by my hair—its length, texture, or style. 

Not by the clothes I wear, the house I live in, or the car I drive.

I am not defined by my mistakes, my quirks, my flaws, or my setbacks. 

I am not defined by what others think I should be. 

I am not defined by their expectations, their timelines, or their assumptions.

I am not defined by tears shed in private. 

Not by sleepless nights. 

Not by dreams that took longer to arrive.

I am defined by something deeper.

I AM defined by what cannot always be seen. 

I AM defined by my growth. 

I AM defined by my resilience. 

I AM defined by my awareness.

I AM defined by my ambition, my discipline, my persistence. 

I AM defined by how I rise after adversity. 

I AM defined by how I choose myself again and again.

I AM human. 

I AM evolving. 

I AM learning.

I AM growth. 

I AM strength. 

I AM wisdom.

I AM joy. 

I AM purpose. 

I AM becoming.

I AM who I choose to be. 

I AM who I am.