My whole life, I have been plagued with this notion that I have to please everybody, that I have to do something notable so people will be proud of me.

There have been many days where I have felt like I was not who I was meant to be because I was living my life for other people. I was doing things that I thought were expected of me at the time.

For the longest time, I felt that if I was not acting in a way that was acceptable to my parents or the adults in my life, then I was doing something wrong. I thought that if I strayed just a few steps from that sidewalk that was laid down for me that all hell would break loose.

I was trying to shape myself into a mold that wasn’t even meant to be mine. There were parts of me that knew deep down that that was not the life I wanted for myself.

My whole life before now I have been desperately trying to receive approval from others that I was exhausting myself of any hope of being content with where I was at.

If I didn’t perform at my best every single day, then I was a horrible person who couldn’t do anything right. If I didn’t make a B on a test, then I needed to limit myself to the amount of fun I was allowed to have.

I am kind of at the point in my life where I just can’t let myself dwell on whether or not someone is upset by something I’ve said or something I’ve done.

I believe in doing whatever it takes to make you a better version of yourself without bringing anyone else down in the process.

I have stopped living my life in a way that I think will please other people, and have started to live in a way that makes me genuinely happy.

I no longer beat myself up if I miss a class or an assignment. I no longer feel sad when I lose a friend along the journey of bettering myself. I understand that not everyone has my best interests in mind when they call me their “friend.”

I honestly think that your opinion is the only one that really matters in the long run. In the end, you are the only person who has to deal with you forever, so if you don’t like the person you are then there’s a problem.

If something doesn’t feel right with the life you are living, then start living differently. Do things that make you happy, regardless of what other people might think. If you enjoy doing something, then do it!!

It’s okay to be that person you keep hiding from everyone else. That person is awesome and deserves to be let out. Stop censoring yourself.

Life is short.

Go on that trip you’ve been dreaming about since you were six. Buy those shoes that caught your eye when you were passing the journey store. Accept the job as a traveling photographer. Whatever opportunities might come your way, take them because you might not be given a second shot.