The beautiful thing about life is that we're constantly growing. We're always learning, whether that be learning about the world or learning more about ourselves. You are allowed every day to be the person you have always strived to be. It can be scary and it can be intimidating. We're on a continuous cycle of transitioning between who we were, who society thinks we should be, and who we truly want to be.
My biggest encouragement to you is to be unapologetically you. People will view you however they want to and unfortunately, you can't change that. Your purpose in life isn't to prove to someone who you are. Your purpose isn't to get everyone to like you agree with you. Your purpose in life is to be unapologetically you.
I hear people say "I'm sorry" even when they did nothing wrong. Don't be sorry for living your life the way that makes you happy. I've seen people torn down because they're too nice. I've seen people mistake kindness for weakness. I've heard people say "you're too emotional" or "you're too loud" to one another. No one can tell you how to feel. If you care deeply for others, then never stop caring deeply. If you show kindness and sympathy, never be ashamed of that. You can make someone's day just because you're being you. Some people aren't going to like that and it's okay. If you wanna dance in the rain, then by all means sing and dance because that's what makes you happy.
Never lessen yourself to be accepted by a society that has unrealistic expectations. The only opinion that matters is the way you view yourself. Being unapologetically you is brave. It's beautiful. You are a one-of-a-kind person. You do not have to conform to what society or anyone else wants. At the end of the day, if you're happy then that's all that matters. When you feed your soul with the things you love you can physically change in yourself. You feel free because nothing weighs you down. Don't be sorry for being who you're meant to be. Instead, feel sorry for those who can't see the pure beauty in others.
It took me a long time to start becoming braver, bolder and living unapologetically. It's not something that just happens overnight - it's something you can work at. Everything in this life is a work in progress. One summer, I moved thousands of miles away from home and got a job where I didn't know a single co-worker. My family left, I had no car and I didn't have any friends in the area except my family friend. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't scary. All my friends were back home. My biggest concern was, "what if people didn't like me" and I was thousands of miles away from home, which was a teaching moment for me. I was so worried about people not liking me, but what if they did! No one knew who I was, my background, or had any expectations of me. I was just another person. I made friends that will forever hold a place in my heart because they loved me for me. They accepted me for me. I realized a lot that summer.
We're all just people trying to make it through this crazy thing called life. There's no sense in trying to be someone you're not for people who you won't talk to in years from now. By being unapologetically you, you will attract the right people. The people that make your soul shine, that encourage you. The people that lift you instead of tearing you down. I'm so thankful for that summer. I'm not going to lie it got lonely, but it gave me time to do a lot of souls searching and self-evaluating. The bravest thing you can do is be you because that person is pretty great.
