Never believe anyone who tells you that you don’t deserve what you want.

Worth doesn't require permission first

There's something quietly radical about this advice, especially because we're often not told this by strangers—we're told it by people close to us, or worse, by the voices in our own heads. A parent might say it wrapped in concern. A friend might say it as a "reality check." And sometimes we say it to ourselves before anyone else gets the chance, as a form of self-protection that feels like honesty.

The tricky part is that wanting things is genuinely complicated. Not every want is healthy, and some desires do need questioning. But there's a crucial difference between examining whether something aligns with your values and letting someone—including yourself—convince you that you're fundamentally unworthy of it. The latter isn't wisdom. It's often just fear dressed up as realism, or someone else's limitation masquerading as your truth.

What makes this worth remembering is how often we mistake self-doubt for self-awareness. We think refusing to believe in ourselves proves we're grounded and realistic. In reality, worth isn't something you earn through suffering or self-diminishment. It's something that exists before the wanting even begins. The question isn't whether you deserve what you want. It's whether you're brave enough to pursue it.