and the roses never wilted, they just transformed into flowers never seen before for a while it looked like they were dying as they slowly turned gray and then black but then they bloomed into something different, a unique kind of beautiful
I wrote this in 2019 when I was reflecting about the way men have often objectified in a way thatthey almost always seem to just want the fun and sexy part of me but seem to often have problems seeing the rest of me. I’ve almost always felt like I’ve been good enough to be their lover but never good enough to be introduced to their mother. Do I still feel this way? I honestly don’t know. I like the attention and validation I get from men because of my looks but sometimes it feels so hollow. **This poem went through heavy edits in June of 2026.
Often men want this girl…the ones that’s always down for a “good” timeBUT run away from this one….the other girl …the vulnerable one that has a realness hard to accept
Tell me I’m beautiful, tell me I’m sexy Objectify me, sleep with me breadcrumb me, ghost me, then try to come back to me And when I deny you insult me, threaten me,try your best to hurt me- Your words mean nothing to me You’re not the first but will be the last who tries to destroy me You’re not the first but will be the last who treats me like your on call whore You’re not the first but will be the last who tells me I’m not good enough and after all that, try to come back again and Tell me you miss, tell me you want me Tell me you’re sorry, tell me you LOVE ME Be persistent in your quest in trying to bed me with empty promises about how this time it will be different and how we have history so I can laugh and laugh and turn you down and watch you sulk honey, I know you watch me on social media so you should know better than to ever come back to me
I wrote this in September of 2019 after I read somewhere about some politician making fun of AOC for doing the “Latina Thing”. It annoyed the fuck out of me.
Edit: I revised this poem heavily in 2025 when I performed it in open mic. Here’s a link to that performance
what I think of the haters
make fun of our accents,make fun of our names- call us feisty, caliente, spicy. too loud, too sexy try to bully us into silence try to put us down with racist and ignorant insults try to stereotype us- try to make us feel less than try to kill us- but understand that we’re here to stay, and we’re not letting anyone get in our way don’t you know that we’re descendents of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Kings and Queens and survival and resilience is embedded in our DNA y estamos aquí para quedarnos para siempre
I’ve tried to keep my life private but I have a talent for oversharing Especially when I’m anxious Especially when I’m drunk and you’ll think it’s charming at first Until one day I explode and then you’ll say goodbye And I’ll get super salty, cry, and write
this was the best AI generated Art could do…idk,,lol
I met you on a cold January night at the IHOP across your apartment complex As I was eating up my loneliness with scrambled eggs and coffee I hoped you couldn’t see remnants of tears that had fallen before you came and you sat across from me and as we awkwardly made conversation I wondered if you would be the one to breathe new life into my almost dead existence I wondered if your kiss would help me reignite a fire of desire, would remind me I’m more than a wife and mother But most of all I wondered if maybe, just maybe someone would finally love me
How to Pursue Your Self-Improvement Goals Without Burning Out by Dean Burgess
Self-improvement is the ongoing process of building healthier habits, learning new skills, and making intentional changes that help you grow over time. While personal development can improve confidence, relationships, and career opportunities, it can also become exhausting if you constantly chase perfection instead of sustainable progress.
Many people begin with enthusiasm only to lose momentum after setting unrealistic expectations. The good news is that meaningful growth doesn’t require constant hustle. A balanced approach helps you improve while protecting your mental and physical well-being.
The Key Ideas at a Glance
Focus on steady progress instead of dramatic transformations.
Build habits that fit your current lifestyle.
Allow time for recovery just as you would for work or exercise.
Burnout often develops when every area of life becomes another project to optimize. Reading dozens of books, following countless productivity influencers, or trying multiple new routines simultaneously may feel productive at first, but it can quickly become overwhelming.
A healthier approach follows a simple pattern:
Problem: Trying to improve everything at once creates stress and inconsistency.
Solution: Prioritize a few meaningful goals and build sustainable habits around them.
Result: You make steady progress without sacrificing your energy or enjoyment of life.
Instead of asking, “How can I become my best self this month?” ask, “What small improvement will still matter a year from now?”
Small Habits Often Beat Big Goals
Large ambitions are exciting, but daily actions produce lasting results. Rather than overhauling your entire routine, identify habits that are realistic enough to maintain during busy weeks.
For example:
Read 10 pages each day instead of aiming to finish a book every weekend.
Walk for 20 minutes rather than committing to intense workouts seven days a week.
Practice a new skill for 15 minutes daily.
Spend five minutes reflecting on your day before bed.
These habits may appear modest, yet they compound into meaningful improvements over months and years.
Choosing Education That Fits Your Life
Education can be an excellent part of a personal development plan, especially if you’re preparing for a career change or pursuing advancement in your current profession. Many people now choose online learning because it offers greater flexibility around work and family responsibilities. Today’s online programs cover a wide range of fields, and healthcare professionals have specialized pathways as well—for example, registered nurses can pursue online coursework toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). If you’re comparing programs, a neat overview can help explain what to expect from an RN-to-BSN option and how it may fit into your long-term goals.
A Practical Self-Improvement Checklist
Before adding another goal to your list, ask yourself:
□ Does this goal genuinely matter to me?
□ Can I realistically maintain this habit for six months?
□ Will this improvement make my everyday life better?
Answering “yes” to most of these questions usually indicates you’re pursuing growth at a sustainable pace.
Balance Your Ambition With Recovery
Improvement doesn’t happen only while you’re working. It also happens while you’re recovering.
Sleep, hobbies, downtime, and meaningful relationships all contribute to better decision-making, creativity, and resilience. Taking breaks isn’t a sign that you’ve lost motivation—it helps you maintain it.
One useful habit is scheduling recovery with the same intention as productive work. A quiet evening, an afternoon outdoors, or simply disconnecting from your phone for a while can make it easier to return to your goals with renewed focus.
Healthy Growth vs. Burnout: A Quick Comparison
Healthy Personal Development
Burnout-Prone Approach
Sets a few clear priorities
Tries to improve everything simultaneously
Builds gradual habits
Depends on constant motivation
Celebrates consistent effort
Focuses only on major achievements
Includes regular rest
Feels guilty about taking breaks
Adjusts goals when circumstances change
Pushes forward regardless of stress
One Resource Worth Exploring
If you’re interested in learning more about building lasting habits, James Clear’s Atomic Habits resources offer practical, research-informed ideas about creating systems that encourage consistent improvement rather than relying on willpower alone. You can explore articles and free resources at:
The emphasis on making small, repeatable changes complements a balanced approach to personal development and can help you stay motivated without feeling overwhelmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I’m pushing myself too hard?
Common signs include constant fatigue, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling guilty whenever you rest. If your pursuit of improvement consistently leaves you exhausted instead of energized, it’s worth slowing down and reassessing your goals.
Is it okay to focus on only one area of self-improvement?
Absolutely. Concentrating on a single meaningful objective often produces better long-term results than dividing your attention across many unrelated goals. Once one habit becomes routine, you can gradually introduce another.
What if I miss a few days?
Missing a few days is normal. The important thing is returning to your routine without treating temporary setbacks as failure. Consistency over months matters far more than maintaining a perfect streak.
Can personal development include asking for help?
Yes. Mentors, teachers, coaches, therapists, and supportive friends can all contribute to personal growth. Seeking guidance is often a sign of commitment rather than weakness.
image by Pexels
Moving Forward One Step at a Time
Personal development works best when it supports your life instead of taking it over. Sustainable habits, realistic expectations, and regular recovery create a foundation for meaningful progress that lasts. Rather than chasing perfection, focus on becoming slightly better than you were yesterday. Over time, those small improvements add up to lasting change.
we get up and live our daily lives, work, go to school, show up to jury duty while the new regime is on a warpath to destroy the lives of the most vulnerable of the marginalized, of those who are not white, cis, and male we get and continue to live as if the American Gestapo isn’t ripping families apart and as if city after city isn’t been torn apart and turned into a warzone
I’ll leave an emotional stain on your life that will be hard to get rid of You’ll curse the day I was born You’ll regret the day you ever meet me because I demand respect, because I’ll never be your safe place because I’ll say “no” to being relegated to the role of mistress and you’ll accuse me of being crazy and narcissist just because I wanted to be treated with dignity just because I want to be seen as more than another girl to pass the time with
floating in a neon pink haze , the afterlife awaits no more suffering, no more mental health crisis no more dark doses of reality this could be lovely and nice but I’m pushed out by forces beyond my control wake up in a fog my soul’s purpose has not been fulfilled I must continue telling my story
I believe in second and third chances because more often than not I’m the one who’s written off because more often than I’m left after the first time I fuck up because more often than I’m expected to be almost perfect and this weighs on me heavily but it’s my cruel reality so I’ll give a second, a third, even a 4th chance because I believe people can change because I accept people for the humans they are because even if my benevolence burns me at times at least I don’t commit an emotional crime cause judgment without compassion makes one an inhumane and callous
there are days I don’t feel strong enough to be their mom maybe it’s insecurity that weighs heavily on me after every fight, after every conflict it was easier when they were small and I was their favorite person the one they ran to the moment I opened the door nowadays I work much and they have their own interests to have much to do with me nowadays they bring up grievances of everything I’ve done and am doing wrong is this karma for being a bad daughter to my mom is this karma for being selfish and self absorbed for a few years of their lives Who knows- maybe it’s not about being strong, being right, or being respected maybe it’s about them knowing they are loved
some storms are worth the rainbows that come after them like the first steps taken after an invasive and life changing surgery like the victory dinner after the termination of a marriage that never should have happened like the first drive alone after beating a 15 year driving phobia like the child graduating at the top 10 percent of his class even though the odds were stacked against him like the rainbow child born after enduring the nightmare of losing one like still being here and writing a poem about storms and rainbows even though many times you’ve been tempted by thanatos whispers to end it some storms are worth the rainbows that come after them because rainbows are hope, magic, and joy that make a life worth living
this was the image that inspired me to write this poem
I saw a cross written in the sky and I wondered, “Is that you God? Is that your sign that I shouldn’t lose faith or hope and I need to keep going,to keep living? Is that you God ? Telling me everything will be fine and one day peace will be mine
I divorce myself from drama I marry the calm I divorce myself from lies I marry the truth I divorce myself from faking it I marry being authentic I divorce myself from self hatred I marry self love
Faith found me one day and told me to keep going when I didn’t want to Faith made me believe in GOD when I wanted to fall into the abyss of depression Faith held me as I cried endless tears of my about my latest life’s catastrophe Faith loved me when I couldn’t love myself Faith brought me people who believed in me When I couldn’t believe in myself Faith decided to one day bring it’s accomplice HOPE