Pretzel bread. I am pretzel bread.

According to Buzzfeed, that is.

I am also a bit of an introspective nerd. I have known this for a while about myself, hence the introspectivity, duh. Where’s the nerd part, you may ask?
I am obsessed with personality tests. I am the color green. I am an INTJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging.) I am a rose. I am a rationalist. I am a cat. And if I were a Minecraft biome, I would be the mushroom fields.

It’s fascinating how we often find comfort in labeling ourselves. Perhaps it’s a human tendency to seek order in chaos, to find our place in the grand scheme of things.
However, there’s a fine line between embracing labels and allowing them to define us completely. I’ve learned this the hard way.

Labels are alluring, promising clarity and belonging in a chaotic world of self-discovery. They gave me a clear sense of self, easily identifiable and convenient. For a while, I used these labels as shields against the fear of the unknown and the anxiety of not having all the answers. I used them as an excuse to stay in my comfort zone.

Navigating the world felt easier when I had a label to cling to. It was a way to quickly answer the daunting question of ‘Who am I?’ as if I could encapsulate the vastness of my being into a couple of words.
Then, one day, I mentally woke up.

I’ll admit, I’m not sure when that day was or if it even was a day. Maybe it happened over time. But one thing is certain — I was overlooking myself.
I overlooked the depth of my character. I overlooked my potential for growth. I overlooked the beauty of imperfections.

I realized I was more than just a sum of these labels, more than just the comfortable clichés I had assigned to myself.
In that awakening, I began to transcend the constraints of these labels. They no longer defined my path; they were merely tools to understand it. I started to embrace the versatility of my being, contradicting my own labels and surprising even my own expectations. The more I tapped into the unknown, the more I flourished.

I am not solely defined by a cat’s quiet nature or an INTJ’s perfectionism. I am the kaleidoscope of colors, not confined to just green. I can be a fiery red, a vibrant yellow, a tranquil blue, and so much more. I am the delicate petals of a rose but also the thorns that protect it.

I am a storyteller. That’s what the name ‘Rawya’ means, after all.
I am the author of my narrative, the architect of my character, and the painter of my canvas.
I am both a work in progress and a masterpiece in the making.