No One Determines Our Worth

No one determines our worth—

not the ones who doubted us,

not the ones who left,

not the ones who tried to shrink us

into something quieter

so they could feel louder.

We are not defined

by the people who couldn’t see us.

We are not measured

by the moments that broke us.

We are not small

just because someone else

was afraid of our size.

Our worth was carved into us

long before the world decided

to name our scars.

It lives in our survival,

in our softness,

in the way we rise again

even when the ground trembles.

No one determines our worth—

we do.

We rewrite the story,

we choose the truth,

we decide who we are

and who we refuse

to ever be again.

And if anyone tries

to tell you otherwise,

let them talk.

Let them underestimate.

Let them watch you grow

into everything they swore

you’d never become.

Because here’s the secret

they never wanted us to know:

our worth is ours.

Untouched.

Unbroken.

Undeniable.

And we don’t need permission

to rise.