09/25/2026
Cycle breaker.
My parents have always taught me to stand up for what I believe in. To say my truth. To speak up when something wasn’t right or fair.
But above all, they taught me to not ever let people walk all over me.
That phrase has been embedded into my life since I was a little girl, but it has grown stronger as time has gone on because I continued to be presented with situations that tested that very statement to the core and not once did I ever back down. I would always speak up and stand my ground, especially when it came to human rights, and it often sparked change and made people realize they were wrong.
But this test was the most intense one yet because this time, I was told to put my values and ethics aside and comply.
Nobody speaks to me that way.
Nobody challenges me to do that.
When someone tries to bully you to the point where it questions your character, your values and your integrity, it’s best to walk away. Never ever let them walk all over you. That’s what happened to me, and I knew my worth. However, this time I walked because I knew that the only way I could spark a positive change is from a distance and through other avenues because it’s bigger than it appears. That doesn’t mean that the lessons won’t come for those who need them. They ALWAYS come. And this one will be big. Huge. Perhaps even life-changing for some.
I have been told time and time again that people are in awe of my strength, my perseverance, my tenacity and my vibrant energy. People have witnessed me do bold things that they would never dream of, speak my truth in some of the scariest moments and stand up for what is right in some of the most challenging ways possible, and they say I do it all with ease, like it’s like a second nature to me.
Because it is.
The truth is, when you’ve been burned to the ground so many times throughout your life, it becomes a cycle that you’ve been through before, like that roller coaster you’ve ridden time and time again, and you just move through the survival motions. But this time, I wasn’t willing to fight to break this cycle from the inside. I knew that it had to be broken from the outside, from a distance, because it’s bigger than that. Much bigger.
When all you want is justice and equality for all… For basic human rights to be respected… You’re not asking too much. I’m not asking too much. And I won’t stop until I reach it.
Even though life gets tough and people try to intimidate me, I will always stand strong.
I will not bend.
I will not break.
I will not give in.
I will follow the rules when they make sense and I will speak up when they don’t.
Even if I am standing alone.
Especially if I am standing alone.
And still, despite everything, I will rise. Because that is who I am - a cycle breaker - and this sh*t stops with me.
As the legend goes, when the Phoenix resurrects from the ashes below, she is even more powerful, more brave and more beautiful than ever before, because not only is the fire in her, the fire is her.
That “her” is me. 🐦🔥
✍🏻 & 📸 : The Phoenix Foundation
