Transformation journey goal: Be Free

“I’m on a transformation journey. I recently got divorced. I have two wonderful kids. And I realized it’s important for me to become more in tune with who I am.

“Leaving a relationship to focus on me has been a challenge. But the wisdom that has come out of that, it’s like, I’m enjoying who I am. I’m learning more about myself.

“The goal is to be free. When I turned 30, I got my first tattoo. It’s just the words Be Free, but it symbolizes so much. It means letting go of past versions of me — how I viewed myself and how others viewed me — and embracing my most authentic self. That means being true to myself, despite what others may think or feel. Despite the path set out for me or the path I set for myself.

“To become the best version of me, I have to heal. I have to learn. I have to do the work.

“I’m 31, and I feel like I’ve done so much in life. But I still have so far to go. Sometimes I overthink that part, and I don’t appreciate how far I’ve come. So now I try to practice gratitude. It’s made me more centered. Because when I reflect on my life, I have achieved a lot.

“My goal now is balance. Balancing who I am on the days when I love myself and on the days I don’t feel so great about myself. We all have flaws, which we try to keep hidden from the world. But they’re still part of who we are. Instead of hiding them, maybe we should try embracing them. Because even though I may think I’m flawed in so many ways, another person may see beauty in that.

“Journaling has helped. I’m always in my head. I’m always thinking. So it allows me to get the majority of those thoughts down on paper. It’s a way to release those emotions, process them, meditate on them, and move on.

“Sitting by the water and journaling is a practice I want to do more often. Just for healing and clarity. I’m searching for that inner peace.”

— Synethia Edinborough