“By Any Means Necessary”

Malcolm X said it first, and I feel it in my bones now more than ever.

Not violence and not chaos, but pure commitment. It means doing what you have to do to create the life you want. For me, that commitment shows up as sacrifice, and that sacrifice is often uncomfortable and unglamorous.

It looks like ending friendships that drain me and letting go of people I wanted to keep but cannot. It is working full-time while going to school, meal prepping when I am tired, showing up for my kids, cleaning my home, and studying at night. It is doing the things nobody praises, choosing peace over familiarity, and choosing myself over people who expect me to fall apart for their comfort. None of this is cute or aesthetic. It is discipline.

Most people want elevation, but they do not want the loss that comes with it. They love the glow-up but ignore the sacrifices. They forget about the late nights, the early mornings, the moments of loneliness, the accountability, the boundaries, and the realization that certain versions of yourself can no longer come with you. That is the real work. This is not about hustle culture. This is about self-respect. I am not grinding myself into exhaustion. I am making choices rooted in peace, stability, my children, my glow, my future, my sanity, and my softness. Choosing these things takes effort.

My idea of “by any means necessary” is simple. It means waking up and doing what I promised myself I would do, even when I am tired, even when I feel overwhelmed, even when no one is watching, helping, or applauding. I do it because my future depends on it. I do it because my kids depend on it. I do it because the next version of me deserves it. This mantra is not aggressive. It is sacred. It is my promise to myself that I will become the woman I am meant to be by any means necessary.

Even if I have to let people go. Even if I have to stand alone. Even if I have to rebuild my life from the ground up. Even if I have to give up comfort today to secure peace for tomorrow. If you needed a sign, this is it. Whatever you want for your life is possible, but it will require the loss of comfort, the loss of excuses, and the release of the older versions of yourself. That is what Malcolm truly meant: your future demands your devotion. And you are ready.