Reading your stories made me stop and think about my own. Honestly, I didn’t even know where to start. My life hasn’t been easy. I’ve spent most of it just trying to bury each chapter and move forward. I grew up in a single-parent household as the second oldest of seven kids. My mom worked hard, but we struggled. We were always moving, getting evicted, and my mom’s gambling addiction made things worse. By the time I was 6 or 7, I was already taking care of my younger siblings. At 15, I started smoking weed. That led to drinking and doing harder drugs. It started as a way to escape the pain, but it ended up trapping me instead. From 18 to 28, my life was all about partying, fighting, and getting high. I had no support or guidance, and my mom never stepped in to stop me. In 2016, I was sliced in the neck and the back of my head. In 2019, I was shot four times. I lost my mom in 2021. In 2022, I was in a terrible car crash. By 2023, I knew I had to make a change, so I left New Jersey and everything that came with it moved to Michigan and started a clean slate. No parties no drugs no alcohol. Just a 100% living in the NOW. Right now, I’m focused on rebuilding—my mind, my body, and my soul. In 2025, I’m dedicating myself to breaking free from the system and the cycles that have held me back. For the past 7-8 years, I’ve been working to reprogram my mind and figure out who I really am. I’ve never been so Dedicated to something in my life. But I’ve become tired of what this society made “Norm”. I picked the Red pill ….