Day 21: The Quiet Questions

19 Aug 2025:

Most of the day I was okay. Work keeps my brain occupied — there’s no time to drift when deadlines and projects are staring me down. But it’s the quiet time that gets you. That’s when the thoughts sneak in, uninvited.

I catch myself thinking about how much of myself I give — my life, my hopes, my heart — to others, without ever really knowing what they want in return. Sometimes I think they don’t even know what they want.

I’ve started to wonder if most people carry at least two versions of themselves: the one they let you see, the one they polish for the outside world, and the one they keep tucked away, only letting pieces slip when they’re distracted or by mistake. Maybe I see it more clearly because of my own damage, my insecurities that I haven’t quite conquered. Or maybe it’s just the truth of being human.

The thing is, none of us go into relationships — of any kind, whether friendship, family, co-worker, or romantic — thinking, I don’t want to know the real you. If anything, we crave it. We want to know someone’s hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations. But how do you know when what you’re seeing is real? How do you trust? And more than that — how do you allow yourself to stay open, knowing that the possibility of being wrong, of being hurt, is always there?

These are the questions the quiet brings. And maybe, just maybe, the answers are found in the willingness to keep asking.

The quiet doesn’t always have to be filled with doubt. Sometimes, it can be the space where we learn who we are.

🌿 Reflection Prompt

What version of yourself do you show the world most often? What part of you stays hidden?

✨ Quote

“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” – Steve Maraboli

🎶 Song Pairing

“Who You Are” – Jessie J
Who You Are • Jessie J