Hi, my name is Hairat Aremu. I’m an ambivert , but I lean more toward being an introvert. I value my space, enjoy my quiet time and feel most like myself in solitude. But even with how reserved I was, people still had something to say. There was always a story, a label, or an opinion even when I hadn’t said a word.
I remember the first time I saw my name mentioned on an anonymous platform. It was tied to something false, something that didn’t sit right with me. I reacted because it hurt. But over time, I noticed something: the more silent I stayed, the more opinions came. That’s when I told myself, “Maybe this is just the influence I carry even in silence.” Whether that was true or not didn’t matter,What mattered was that I stopped giving those opinions the power to define me.
Still, for a long time, I let other people’s views shape how I saw myself,I tried to meet expectations that weren’t mine,I bent and shifted just to fit in, And when their idea of me didn’t match the real me, I felt like I was failing even when I wasn’t,But I kept trying… until I couldn’t anymore.
Then came the shift.
I realized I don’t owe anyone a version of myself that makes them comfortable,I owe myself honesty. I owe myself freedom. I owe myself peace. I started asking, “Who am I really?” and not “Who do they want me to be?”
Self-awareness became my power. It helped me understand that people will always have opinions. Some will love your light, others will misunderstand it. But their words? Their expectations? They don’t define you.
You define you.
Your influence is not always loud. Sometimes, it’s the quiet confidence of knowing who you are and refusing to let anyone else write your story.
So today, I say this to anyone who’s ever felt boxed in by people’s opinions , don't let anyone define you.
Diligent. 👏
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