My paths chose me instead

 I’ve never chosen the woman I was, my path chose me instead.

Whatever I needed, whatever life called for- that’s who I became.

Whatever role I needed to be, that was who I evolved into..

Mother, sister, partner, friend, mentor, survivor, provider, protector..

I’ve been each of those and more.

It wasn’t about what I ever wanted, but what I needed to do and be.

I always did what I had to do to keep moving forward in my life.

Truth is, I didn’t know how I’d make it sometimes, but I always found a way.

I’ve been the one who everyone looked to for strength, courage and passion, and somehow, I was always able to become what I needed to be.

I won’t say it’s been easy or painless, because the struggle I fought was almost overwhelming at times..

But I made things happen, because that’s who I am.

I’ll never be fearless, flawless or faultless, but I’ll always be real, genuine and authentic.

I love with all my heart and I don’t do anything halfway.

My soul is filled with passion and I love hard when there’s love to be had.

I fill many roles and I have a never ending list of responsibilities, but I’ve learned I’m capable of conquering anything.

The fires that once threatened to burn me alive now fuel my drive to rise above and fly high.

Maybe my plans don’t always work out perfectly and there may have been a time or two when it came off the rails, but I managed to find my way almost every time.

I’ve provided for and protected those who needed me.

I’ve loved my people who wanted me.

I’ve fought for the ones who couldn’t do it themselves.

I’m a woman of many talents, qualities and depths..born of the darkest times which forged my ironclad spirit.

But no matter who I’ve been and what I’ve done, there’s always one part of me that I’ve needed most:

The survivor.

She’s the one that kept me going, gave me strength and lifted me up when I fell.

Come what may, she’ll always be the part I value most,

For as long as I will ever need her,

She’ll always be there.

|ravenwolf

For exclusive content, follow me on TikTok @theravenwolf

Buy one (or all) of my books!

https://houseofravenwolf.com/.../copy-of-ravenwolfs...

www.theravenwolf.com

Breaking the cycle

 You break the cycle by being willing to be the love you did not receive, give yourself the parenting you were not given, and radiate so much love for yourself, for others, and the world that it overshadows any past heartache or pain.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Only happiness matters for her

 She never wanted to be successful, strong or powerful, she just wanted to be happy.

Along the way to seeking her happiness, life took some turns she never expected.

She didn’t choose to become that person that always survived, thrived and overcame…

But she never was given any other choices.

Time and again, she found herself on her knees, battling for her sanity and her survival..

And each time, she managed to emerge from the fire tested but intact.

While she may have once feared the flames of struggle, she was forced to become the fire instead.

When she was at rock bottom, trying to dig her way out of the darkness, the only thing she could cling to was the fire to fuel her ascension..

And so that’s just what she did:

She fought bravely, dug deeply and battled furiously to grow and evolve every chance she could.

Everyone counted her out more times than not and each time, she defied the odds and emerged victorious.

That’s the thing about a strong woman-

They don’t know any other way than to keep going and rising out of the ashes of hardship.

There were stars in her eyes and depths in her soul..

She wasn’t ever going to settle for ordinary, lackluster or average.

She was destined for more and every day, in every way, she worked tirelessly to be better than she was the day before.

With a quiet resolve and a determined facade, she endured storms that would overwhelm so many others..

And she took pride in her ability to withstand the obstacles of whatever life threw at her.

She wouldn’t ever be perfect, flawless or always put together, but she would be true to herself.

And in a world full of pretense, she celebrated her authentic truths.

She smiled as she knew that she would always be able to say that no matter what, she did it her way.

|ravenwolf

For exclusive content, follow me on TikTok @theravenwolf

Buy one (or all) of my books!

https://houseofravenwolf.com/.../copy-of-ravenwolfs...

Developing right perspective on love

 It took me a lot of broken roads, heartaches and sleepless nights to develop the right perspective on love.

Sure, we always think of love in the passionate sense of romance and soulmates..

But it’s so much more than that.

I’d always wanted so much to be loved by another that I would be wrecked when it didn’t work out.

I’d endure sleepless nights, countless tears and I’d always ask what was wrong with me..

But my friends were always there for me, helping me pick up the pieces of my broken heart, without hesitation.

I started to understand that love is everywhere, in all its splendor..and I just had to stop focusing on the selfish love I wanted and see the beauty of real love that was so abundant in my life.

I realized that when you put love unselfishly into the universe, it always comes back to you..

It may not be in the form I always wanted, but love was always around me, trying to remind me that I was loved more than I knew.

All the times that it didn’t work out?

I’ve learned to stop regretting those and calling them mistakes..because they were necessary for me to learn.

Those were the hard lessons I couldn’t understand any other way other than to go through them.

From each failure, I started growing, evolving and becoming better.

There’s a reason for everything and everyone if you just start trying to understand why it didn’t work instead of thinking “what’s wrong with me?”

There was never anything “wrong” with me, I was just wrong for them..

And thankfully so.

I’ve been lied to, disrespected, and all the many other gross things that happen in relationships.

Do I regret them?

No, I’m a stronger and better person for each of the bad choices and failed relationships.

And without fail, the love I put out there- in any sense to anyone- always came back to me tenfold.

Love from my close friends, sweet love from a nephew or niece, maybe even the kindness of a stranger..

I started to see that love was all around me and always came back to me, despite how I wanted to wallow in the misery of failed romance.

Sure, the failed love stories hurt and I hate the feeling of loss..but I had to go through the fire to become the person I was always meant to be.

I still make mistakes and choose the wrong people to let in sometimes, but I’ll still keep loving hard when there’s love to be had..

And I will keep growing, keep learning and I will always keep loving..

It’s just who I am.

And I know now, that no matter what, love is always around me and in my heart..

I’ll take that every day, in any way.

There’s nothing better in this world to love and be loved..

In any form.

It’s up to me to recognize and appreciate all the beautiful love around me,

each and every day.

|ravenwolf

For exclusive content, follow me on TikTok @theravenwolf

Buy one (or all) of my books!

https://houseofravenwolf.com/.../copy-of-ravenwolfs...

Two choices in love

 At the end of the day, you have two choices in love – one is to accept someone just as they are and the other is to walk away. There is no in between. There is no bartering, bargaining, expecting and falling short in love. There is just choosing to be there or to not. Anything in between is a tired, self-interested excuse for love. ~Heidi Priebe

My past

And as she walks, they're with her

The people from her past

Everyone she's loved and lost

Before she learned love never lasts

And she cherishes the memories

They're all that she has left

She knows no one will save her

So she tries to save herself

But she's drowning in her sadness

She's dying in her grief

And nobody can see it

Because everybody leaves

She lets no one in her life, now

She knows they're better off

Far away from all her pain

And everything she's lost.

~Mandy Kocsis2020~