We’re told to fall in love with the fairytale of fulfillment before we fall in love with ourselves. We are forced into inheriting measures of our life’s success before we know what life itself has to offer. I have chased thousands of ‘shoulds’ that promised to deem me worthy of happiness and love. And every achievement only came with another accolade to chase . . . the finish line pushed ever farther.

I refuse to let my purpose be to achieve arbitrary measures of success—instead, I choose to believe in my own beauty.

The trees of the forests and the flowers in the fields have no purpose, nor goal to achieve, in order to be beautiful. What if the purpose of our lives is to simply exist in the most authentic and honest way possible? The only thing we need to do is share our innate splendor.

The cycle of obligations and imperatives ends with me.

My successes will be measured in uncontrollable laughter and the depths of my joy. My acclaim will come from the people whom I love with the fierceness of fire. Every breath I take will be filled with happiness that I create for myself. I craft my own fate and determine my own beauty.

And so can you.

Leean Gill

Leean Gill, Soultype 9, is a student in the NEATO Level 3 – New Equations Certified Teacher program. Leean is from sun-soaked California, USA, and is currently traveling the world while writing, drawing, and collecting incredible experiences from all over.