I’ve been told for a lot of my life that I can’t do something because of a variety of reasons. That I’m too small or not smart enough or not strong enough. But that isn’t what defines me. I am defined by my persistence, by my stubbornness, and my ability to get things done. When I am told that I can’t do something, I don’t listen. It’s as if I am wired to immediately try to do something anyway.

While I do get hurt and I do feel bad about myself (I mean I don’t think of myself as queen of the universe anyway) I don’t let it affect who I am as a person. It knocks me back a few steps, it brings down my own self-worth, but I do not define myself by what other people think of me. I define myself by how I think of myself. The ability to get back up and prove to people that I can do what they said I couldn’t and that I will do it, despite what they think, is what proves who I am as a person.

Who I am as a person is a very stubborn but headstrong college kid. My experiences do not make me less of a person, nor do they make me more knowledgeable. Being so stubborn is what makes me who I am and the doubt of those around me, the feelings of worthlessness in their reactions to me doesn't make me less of a person to myself. So yeah, people can tell me day in and day out that I can't do something and they can go their entire life without believing in me, but I'm not going to let it affect who I am as a person and how I see myself. So they can doubt me all they want, but I'm not going to let it change my attitude.