There’s something about the start of a new month that brings with it this quiet pressure.
To begin again. Set new goals. Fix things. Do more. Be better.

But what if this month, instead of piling more expectations on yourself, you came back home to something simpler… trust?

Because honestly, that’s the work no one talks about.
Not the shiny confidence, not the “girlboss” energy, not the vision board full of goals. I mean the kind of trust that says:
“I don’t know exactly where I’m going… but I believe in my ability to keep going.” “I’ve doubted myself before, and I still survived.” “I can try again. And again. And again.”

Because here’s the thing: self-trust isn’t loud. It doesn’t look like having it all figured out, or being the most confident person in the room.
It’s that quiet knowing. The kind that says, even if things wobble, I’ll be okay.
Even if I don’t get it right the first time, I’ll figure it out.
Even if I’m still learning, I’m allowed to be proud of how far I’ve come.

But if you’re someone who’s always been the overachiever, the people-pleaser, the perfectionist, trust might not come naturally. Maybe you’ve spent most of your life checking your choices against someone else’s approval, including your own false pretences and myriad of expectations you put on yourself. Maybe you’ve been taught that doubting yourself is being “humble.” Maybe confidence, to you, feels like a costume you wear when you’re scared, not a muscle you’ve built from within.

Rebuilding that kind of trust takes time, especially if you’ve spent years second-guessing yourself, outsourcing your worth, or tying your value to how well you’re doing.
Confidence doesn’t always show up as boldness. Sometimes, it looks like:

• Saying no when people-pleasing would be easier
• Letting rest be enough
• Owning your voice in rooms that used to make you shrink
• Taking the leap even when your hands are shaking

So let this be your reminder:
Confidence isn’t about being fearless. It’s about feeling the fear and choosing to show up anyway. And self-trust? That’s what catches you when you do.

This month, I’m not chasing the version of me who has it all together.
I’m softening into the version of me who is still figuring it out… and showing up anyway. I’m choosing to trust the tiny steps. The not-yet moments. The blurry in-betweens. I’m letting confidence be quiet. Steady. Real.

And if you need a place to start, here are a few truths I’m carrying into May as affirmations:

• I trust myself to make decisions that honour me — not just please others.
• I don’t need to be fully healed to be worthy of love, rest, or peace.
• I am allowed to change my mind. To pivot. To grow in unexpected directions.
• I trust that I can hold myself through both the good and hard days.
• My confidence doesn’t need to be loud to be real.
• I don’t have to prove my worth. I already have it.
• This month, I don’t owe the world a glow-up. I owe myself some grace.

So if you’re starting May feeling a little unsure, a little behind, a little tired of having to “have it all together”, just know that you’re not alone.
You don’t need a master plan to move forward.
You don’t need to be 100% certain to take a single step.
You just need to trust that you’ll figure it out, one choice at a time.

This month, I hope you choose self-trust over self-pressure. Compassion over control. And softness over shame. Remember that the things we tell ourselves, those negatives things about us, in our head, are not fact – they are merely opinion. It’s not the truth. It’s just how you’ve perceived yourself all this time. And that’s ok. But let’s start to challenge it.

Here’s to May. Not the month we “fix ourselves,” but the one where we finally start listening inward.

– pepetoe xox