I'm clumsy. I'm not great at budgeting. I overthink conversations and words said. My grammar, especially when speaking, is not up to par. I say weird things like, "the floor needs cleaned" instead of "the floor needs to be cleaned." I say "literally" literally all of the time.

I'm not good at keeping my room organized, and I stress over stupid little things. I tell stories over-dramatically and have the tendency to repeat myself. And in a world where comparison is all we ever see, sometimes it's hard to remember that these quirks don't make me less of a person. In fact, they make me exactly who I am.

I'm not a perfect person and I never would want to be or expect myself to be. I can sit around and try to change these aspects of myself (which self-improvement is always a good thing; heck my bank account would appreciate it if I learned how to budget), or I can embrace these parts of myself and stop trying to run or hide from the reality of the situation which is the reality of who I am.

In fact, when we embrace our quirks or faults or whatever you want to call them, I think we actually give ourselves the chance to improve those characteristics. Because when we embrace the quirks we're accepting who we are to the core of our being. And when we are fully comfortable and accepting of who we are, we have the ability to change or grow if we choose. \

When we hide from who we are or try to deny the fact that we (more like I) have bizarre speaking habits, we are ridding ourselves the chance to grow. If we aren't willing to accept something or embrace it, how can we ever change it?

So embrace you. Embrace your quirks. Embrace your faults. Embrace your shortcomings and your challenges. Embrace them because when you face them full on, you're giving yourself the room to grow. And no matter what, do not be ashamed for those little unique characteristics that make you, you.

You are perfectly imperfect. Do not hold yourself in comparison to others. Do not hide your grammar-like quirks to try to conform to those around you. It's cliche and you've heard it numerous time before, but there's only one you. Whether you're holding yourself in comparison to friendships or a romantic relationship, those you have close relationships with should accept you for you. Just like you should accept them for exactly who they are.

We all have quirks and faults. Some quirks may annoy you, some quirks may make you laugh, and some quirks you may not even notice you or a friend of yours may have until someone points it out. You weren't made to be perfect; you weren't made to be a robot with the same exact traits as everyone else. I'm clumsy and maybe you snort when you laugh. I have weird speaking habits, and maybe you talk with your hands. Embrace it; embrace you. Don't hide from yourself. You can't grow you if you can't accept you.