I stopped using harshness as motivation

Dear Delyara, This is one of the quietest revolutions in me. I used to believe that if I stopped being hard on myself, I would stop moving. That criticism was necessary. That shame kept me disciplined. That pressure was the only thing standing between me and failure. Now I’m learning that harshness is not the same as strength. And that I can move from self-respect instead. It still feels unfamiliar. But it also feels cleaner. I do not want to spend the rest of my life being the person who drives me through fear.