12/27/2025
There was a time when I wouldn’t take a step unless someone walked beside me. Not because I couldn’t… but because I didn’t trust myself enough to stand alone.
I stayed small in quiet ways.
I waited for permission.
I let fear dress itself up as practicality, loyalty, or “being realistic.”
And underneath all of it was a deeper truth I didn’t want to face yet: I didn’t value myself enough to choose me without reassurance.
Doing things alone felt terrifying.
Putting myself out there felt like exposure.
Asking for more felt like asking for too much.
So I learned how to adapt instead of expand.
How to survive instead of arrive.
But something shifted.
Not overnight.
Not dramatically.
Slowly… steadily… through moments where I chose myself even while my hands shook.
I took steps scared.
I showed up unaccompanied.
I followed curiosity instead of fear.
And each time I did, a quiet voice inside me grew louder: You can hold yourself. You can trust yourself. You are worth the risk.
Now, I move differently.
I go places alone.
I say yes without waiting to be chosen.
I take up space without apologizing.
I trust my inner pull more than other people’s comfort.
Not because fear disappeared - but because self-worth finally arrived.
And here’s what I know now, in my bones:
Those steps I was afraid to take weren’t leading me away from safety. They were leading me back to myself.
I was always worth the walk.
And so are you.
✍🏻 & 📸 : The Phoenix Foundation - Ashlee Sampson