Maybe I didn't look like people expected or I didn't always walk the same road that everyone

else wanted me to

Everyone has a different perception of who we are,

but somehow through that discord

I found comfort in finding my own identity

Maybe I'm not tall enough but my lips can tell stories

Maybe my eyes are small but they take in every detail

I'm not perfect but I believe in the beauty of being comfortable with our singularity,

being forced away from the comfort of the crowd but at the same time

learning to celebrate carving a new path, the way a flower breaks through the soil

for the first time

There's something really beautiful about embracing that vulnerability

because it creates a sensitivity to the things around us that others may not notice

Even a tiny seed can grow into a giant tree and maybe a spark of inspiration is the

same way

We're so small but our ideas are not

Ideas are what set us apart from the crowd until others can't help but notice

That's what gives us the potential to reach higher

We can take those ideas and turn them into anything with passion, wisdom, tenacity and

fearlessness

Every good idea comes with a certain amount of risk but you should never, ever let that

hold you back

because you always know what you could lose but there's no limit to what you could gain

Sure there's hardship that might come along the way

but there's no amount of fear that is worth more than the potential of what you could

reach if you just try

My dad once told me that tall trees grow strong through storms and persevere until they

aren't moved by the wind

Grow strong

Waves may crash on the surface of the ocean but deep

waters aren't moved by the current

Grow deep

Make your own limits and break them.

Hit the ground running, take that leap of faith,

and fly

My story started with me, a child of immigrant parents who landed in a place where the odds

were stacked against me

A place where language barriers and culture clashes made my ideas feel isolated and different

But it made me realize that everything I have learned on my own journey is what has helped me

set the bar to achieve my dream