My anxiety definitely has been one of the biggest setbacks in my life. Growing up with anxiety always meant seeing the worst in any and everything. Through my nervous eyes, every leaf that fell could result in a hurricane, devastating my state. A bee sting might result in a dormant allergy I didn’t know about flaring up resulting in anaphylactic shock, and even walking in my own neighborhood (one of the safest neighborhoods in Texas) could somehow result in certain death. This mindset consequently led to my own self-imposed quarantine from the outside world in fear of what could potentially happen to me. My room became a sanctuary to me. It was a place for me to bloom in private, it was somewhere nothing and no one could hurt or perceive me unfavorably. I barely left my room because of this fear, it just felt too much for me to face. But, in the end, my own hermitude became suffocating. Isolation didn’t fix the unease I felt on a daily basis, I had to realize: nothing in the outside world is out to get me. And, there was no spooky boogeyman out there waiting to hurt me. There was only me and my own underlying fear standing in the way of growth. I slowly opened my bedroom door, freeing myself from a prison of my own making. To grow, I had to face my fears head on. I deliberately took myself down paths which originally caused my anxiety to bubble. I went outside without family by my side to protect me from the smallest things. Likewise, I learned about grounding techniques and practiced my breathing when stress aroused my body, and I tried to journal when my thoughts became too big for my mind to handle. I used the freed up space in my brain to channel my more creative ideas onto canvases, into sketchbooks, and on the stage. I had to walk down roads that hoarded shadows which caused dread for me to grow. Without a doubt, my anxiety hasn't been cured. Sometimes I still sink into the more anxious parts of my mind. From time to time, life can become too strong for me to stand my own ground, but with my family by my side, it’s a little manageable. I had to tell myself that a sturdy house is nothing without support. Anxiety will always be a permanent fixture, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it should dictate my path, choices, or my life.