I'll be the first to admit that I didn't have an easy life growing up. My childhood wasn't ideal by any means, and it took me a long time to come to terms with that.

I always hated who I was because I was always so guarded. I wanted to let people into my life, but I was scared. I thought that they were going to hurt me in some way. I didn't want people to know that I was broken inside, and some things can make me weak. Because of that, I never let anyone in. I always kept to myself when it came to my personal life. I was ashamed of what I had gone through. I hated that it had taken away parts of my childhood.

Until a couple years ago, that changed. I realized that I shouldn't be ashamed of who I am, how I act, or try to hide that I have a past. My past made me who I am today, and there's nothing wrong with who I am.

My past shaped me. My past made me grow up at a younger age. My past created me. My past is a part of who I am.

I always hated that I had to grow up so quickly. I was so jealous of the people who could just be kids and not have to deal with real life problems. Looking back now, I shouldn't have cared because not all of those people ended up going down the right path, or they didn't know how to handle life when it became real.

I found that life is hard, and you will struggle. I found that life doesn't just hand you things because you want them. If you want something, you have to go earn it; you have to work for it.

I was always so much more mature than my peers. While I still had my immature moments (and still do), I grew out of them faster than other people did.

Even today I see people trying to play head games with someone they once cared about. I see them trying to pick a fight or trying to hurt them just because they want to. I know you're thinking that maturity isn't the only thing that triggers it, but maturity does play a role in how you respond.

I've learned that you don't have to fight every battle someone throws at you. You don't have to give in to the silly little games because that's all they are-games. I've learned that sometimes ignoring it or walking away from the situation sometimes makes it better. The people who are playing the games are just doing it to get a reaction from you, and they stop once you do.

So the next time someone is trying to play head games with you or get under your skin, realize you're better than them, and they're not worth it.

Games are for children.