we all carry shadows of ourselves we rarely show – the quiet fears, hidden dreams and parts we hesitate to embrace.

‘the shadows of me‘ is a gentle exploration of those unseen layers, a journey toward understanding, accepting and loving who we are beneath the surface

‘the shadows of me’

accepting the ‘self’ as it is.

not the version of the ‘self’ you wish for, the version created in the mind, or the version that disguises parts of itself.

the true, authentic, raw, far from perfect version. the self that only you truly know, truly understand.

those closest are a part of the story, a part of the journey. but only from where they began, not from the start.

the ‘self’ has many layers, many fragments.

some bigger than others, holding more space. some heavier than others, absorbing more times.

fragments that wish to only be shards, yet still hold on incase of a time in need arrives.

accepting the ‘self’ as it is can be hard. daunting. terrifying infact.

time lost in the hole of the campus.

once memories diffused into thin air.

recollection of the truth or what was said.

twisting reality with the image in the mind.

our ‘self’ is quite deceptive. well atleast i can say mine is.

covering the tracks that used to walk, not looking back to check the job.

pretending people never existed, even if they’re still here today.

you see, these people aren’t individuals, they are the paths walked by the same soul.

accepting the ‘self’ as is, is a journey. a journey well worth the ride.

unraveling the knots, the twists, the turns, filing them up into lines.

some days the ride is exciting, visiting where you had planned. stopping off to sight see, reconeccting with what used to be.

but other days the ride is bumpy, so bumpy your stomach turns. these are the trips easier to just turn back, yet they lead to the greatest of places.

a place that holds acceptance.

a view from a new perspective.

peeling back the hood of life, accepting the views as they are.

there’s no need to change the grass. to wish from better weather. sit in the place of the past and begin to accept.

it’s easier said than done. the ‘self’ is very persausive.

‘not today‘, ‘not ready yet‘, but we must push past the voice of protection.

protection from the past.

protection from the pain.

protecting self from the betrayal caused by others and …. [me].

so, the self i don’t admit, is the self i used to be.

the self i wish to become, is the self only i can see.

so continue on with the journey, of getting to know the self.

till sitting down to talk becomes the favourite part of oneself.

-mao

17/02/2026

believe in yourself. your trauma doesn’t define you – live the life you wish.