I grew up in a culture and community that believed women are only good for two things: being wives and mothers. We were taught to depend on men for financial support, validation and a future.

It took me a long time to overcome this mindset. It wasn't until recently that I started investing in myself.

My therapist and I conversed about my belief that I needed to rely on a husband to be financially stable and my co-dependency with men. He told me hobbies are great to stay busy but since I had the tendency to be scared about the future then maybe I needed to find a way to control it instead of letting it control me. That lead me to finding a financial advisor and talking about what I could do with the little savings I had.

Which eventually got me into stock markets and investments. I'm still learning and while it's confusing at times, seeing my money grow (even just a little bit) is making me have some sense of relief for the future. I'm unlearning what my culture and parents taught me--that only a man can provide for me and that I need to have a husband to be a "real" woman. These beliefs are so engrained in me but every day, I'm peeling off a layer one by one. I'll never rely on anyone for money or stability again.