When I came home and started quarantine, I decided to also start all the habits I’ve been thinking about, all at once.

This balance of time comes into question every semester, every summer, and every season of Iris’s life. She’s still figuring things out, but here are some things Iris keeps in mind when deciding whether to take on something new.

I have had a guiding word for my year since I could remember. My second one was bold and I think I was fourteen.

“Name your price,” was what I was told. My mind scrambled, wanting to ask for a price that was reflective of my value but not too high to scare my first social media client off. My mind defaulted to what I knew and the second I said a number, I knew I undercut myself. So, I decided to try doing some math and coming up with a concrete number.

We don’t know for sure how long we’ll be in this season or when we may return again. We can only make the most of where we are now and give ourselves the time to transition.

Ask for what you want. At worst, you’ll get a no. If you don’t ask, you’ll never get it.

Iris shares the ideas that have been on her mind lately as she works to strengthen her own self worth and make it shine. It always has ups and downs, but here are some things she tries to remind herself.