“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress.”
This truth matters because too many people believe their shortcomings cancel out their value. They don’t.
A masterpiece isn’t defined by perfection—it’s defined by intention, depth, and meaning. Likewise, being a work in progress doesn’t imply deficiency; it implies growth.
You can honor who you are now while still striving for who you’re becoming. Those two ideas are not in conflict. They exist together.
Your flaws are not proof that you are broken. They are evidence that you are human—learning, adjusting, evolving.
Criticism and failure are inevitable, but they are not verdicts on your worth. They are moments, not identities.
Every day, remind yourself who you are and why you are beautiful—not in spite of your scars, but because of what they represent. Endurance. Courage. Survival. Reflection.
Do not allow a single mistake, rejection, or harsh word to erase your sense of self. Growth does not diminish value; it reveals it.
You are not unfinished in a way that makes you lesser.
You are unfinished in a way that makes you alive.
And that is already something remarkable.
Ronaldo Gilley 