Ever since I can remember, I've had long hair. Everyone on the street and all of my friends and family would compliment me on what I thought was my best feature.

I, even with my self-conscious and self-deprecating personality, knew that my hair was gorgeous, and although that might sound conceited, my hair was honestly the only thing that I liked about myself, so I had to be conceited about it.

And so I went the majority of my life thinking that the only thing that people liked about me was my hair, as it was the only thing that people really ever complimented me on.

But then I got a boost of confidence that came along with a new chapter in my life, and I decided that I was going to change for the better and that people would like me for more than just my hair.

So I made the decision to chop it all off. I went to the barber shop and cringed a little at the first snippet, but what was done, was done.

I put two feet of hair and all of my old worries behind me.

I strived to walk forward with confidence and face what my relatives would say. My mother loved my hair and thought that it made me look more sophisticated and grown-up, while some relatives asked why I would ever do that to my gorgeous long hair. Regardless of what anyone thought, I was moving forward.

And I became confident in my own skin, not just my hair.

By cutting my hair off, I learned numerous things about who I wanted to be as a person. I learned that I wanted to be the type of person that people could look up to, not just from a #hairgoals standpoint, but from a personality standpoint. I began feeling more confident in my beliefs and my actions because I learned that people liked me for more than just my hair.

Although it sounds stupid to say that I changed my life when I changed my hair, it is absolutely true. I began to feel more comfortable with my appearance. When I had my long hair, I knew that I could use it to hide any insecurities on my body and hide the fact that I was self-conscious.

With shorter hair, I can't do that anymore, and honestly, I don't really want to. I don't want to hide my insecurities anymore because I feel like a real person now. I feel like a person that can be themselves without any judgment or retaliation. I feel, for the first time in my life, confident.

So I encourage you to cut your hair too, regardless of the fear, regardless of the worry, I promise it's worth it. I can honestly say that I feel like a better person with shorter hair.

To me, cutting my hair was a way of introducing a new chapter of my life, a new "me." And I strongly encourage every single other woman out there, even if you have the slightest urge, to make the cut.

Because I am a stronger, confident and healthy individual because of it.