You Matter: Video Reflection on LEX 2020

LEX & the APIENC family brought so much… so many things, but what i’m most thankful for is the healing that it brought to me when i felt too overwhelmed to know where to start, & i want to share some of my learnings, un-learnings & re-learnings.

radical vulnerability, as nerve-wracking as the build-up is, can be incredibly cathartic. being yourself takes courage, finding yourself is so painful, and standing up for yourself can be a lonely experience. these things can be scary, but do not be afraid of the fear. it’s just an emotion, it will pass, everything will be okay. the growth that you get from stepping up & speaking out is always worth it.

do not settle for less than you deserve. respect means taking responsibility for harm caused, & love means doing the labor of repair.

stand by your values, even when it means that people that you care about no longer make the cut. you do not need to make yourself small in order to be loved. saying no means saying yes to yourself.

laughter is a salve for many wounds. find joy; it is there, just find it.

rest. your world will not fall apart if you don’t haul ass every second of every day to do the work. rest is important.

you have everything you need to make yourself feel safe, and when you don’t, ask for help. ask for help anyway. you do so much for others, let them be there for you, too.

this one… this one is a big one… this one is hard.

you are a good person. you are worth showing up for, & you matter. you deserve space to exist.

people care about you. people care about you. you’re loved. you’re so, so loved.

thank you LEX & APIENC for the life-changing learnings, & the experience. i know that i am gonna carry these learnings for the rest of my life.

<3 hieu (they/them)

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hieu (they/them) is a queer transmasc lost humanoid who has committed their life to learning how to love themselves as much as they love their community. with great gratitude to APIENC for the reminders of how important that is. <3