Chapter 4: The Validation Junkie
Okay, grab your chai—make sure it’s hot, because I have some serious tea to spill, and this time, the tea is actually about me. Remember how I’ve been acting all "strong and independent" lately, talking about taking the remote control of my life back? Well, today the universe decided to test that, and let’s just say I almost snapped the remote in half. I was supposed to meet up with a friend this Sunday afternoon, and when she told me she couldn’t make it, I didn’t just get annoyed. I went into full-blown fury mode. I’m talking heat in my chest, a raging “how dare she,” and pure “am I even a priority to anyone?” type of energy. In that exact moment, I realized I’d handed her the remote control to my entire mood. I felt so incredibly hurt, and I let my brain start doing that toxic thing where it builds a whole script about why I don’t matter. But then, I actually talked to her. I forced myself to tell her how I felt because I couldn’t keep that exhausting loop playing in...