There’s the version of you who has it all together.
Wakes up early. Feels strong. Texts back. Gets it done.
That version feels good. Feels safe. Feels worthy.
And then there’s… the other one.
The one who sleeps in. Cancels plans. Eats poorly.
The one who spirals, snaps, scrolls for hours, or disappears for days.
We love one of them.
We judge the other.
But here’s the truth:
You are both.
And emotional wellness begins when you stop punishing one for existing.
I used to think I had to “fix” the low version of me.
Push him into the gym.
Drown him in productivity.
Pretend he didn’t exist once I felt better again.
But that version of me wasn’t broken.
He was trying to cope.
Trying to communicate.
Trying to rest in a world that never stops spinning.
And over time, I stopped fighting him.
I started asking questions instead of giving orders:
- What do you need right now?
- What are you afraid of?
- What’s underneath the urge to shut down?
Turns out, the low version of me didn’t need a pep talk.
He needed kindness.
And space.
And patience.
Because when you learn to care for the lowest version of you—
you stop being afraid of falling.
And when you’re not afraid of falling,
you start to rise from a more honest place.
You are not just the version of you that gets things right.
You are also the version that survives when things go wrong.
Learn to love both.
That’s the Cushy way.
