Since the new year, I think it's safe to say I've made quite a few decisions for myself. Some major, some minor, and some just in between, but all for myself and nobody else. One major decision and mind set change I have made for this new year wasn't made aware to me until a coworker had said something to me. Recently, I went out to lunch with my old roommate and best friend, Erica. We're both very adventurous and love to make a ton of memories while we're still young, so we had the great idea of going to get a new piercing. I am a fan of tattoos and piercings; probably one form of art I am really into. Of course I was very excited about it and posted a picture to my Facebook page. The next day at work, a coworker said they wanted to tell me something. In my mind, I assumed it was work related but after hearing the beginning of their sentence I realized it was in relation to my new piercing. The coworker said something along the lines of, "You are very beautiful the way you are and do not need jewelry or makeup to make yourself look better because in reality, it takes away from your beauty." This coworker then continued to give me an example of their cousin who wears a lot of makeup and they feel their cousin does not look that great. Of course this was their opinion and I was not offended, but after hearing that comment, I spent a lot of time thinking about it and I have come to this realization:

I am beautiful in any way, shape, or form I choose because I am who I am due to my decisions and frankly, because I choose to be a beautiful fucking human being.

Life didn't come with instructions or a guide. God gave me this life, family and friends, obstacles, and happiness. I have the freedom to make decisions for myself. I also have the option of trying many different things to see what I think is best so if I want to pay my hard earned money to have a needle shoved through my ear to then be replaced by jewelry because I think it makes me look pretty then bet your bottom dollar I will. If someone doesn't think it's pretty or thinks it's absurd then I don't really care because it's not their body and not something they have to live with.

I didn't wake up one day and decide to pierce my ear or tattoo my body for anyone else. I did it for myself; which is something I haven't done in awhile. I chose to add highlights to my hair because I think I look more attractive and I like the way it looks. If I didn't like it then I would have changed it to something else because life is all about trial and error. I chose to transfer colleges because I was unhappy and I decided to make a change. Did I care about the friends and classmates I was leaving behind? Of course, but the choice of being happy and doing what was best for me took precedence. I stopped liking the way I looked in pictures so I've motivated myself to go to the gym even when I am tired from work or school and I've lost 8 pounds in the process. But in this new year, it wasn't just about making new decisions for myself. It was about making decisions to show the world who I really am and to finally look in the mirror and be happy about the person I was seeing. Realizing this new mentality has allowed me to be more confident in my decisions and become more motivated to make a difference. Yes I want the world to see who I really am but no, I am not hurt or offended if they don't agree with my choices.

So I ask all my readers to 'see me' and to ask yourself if you're living YOUR life to the fullest extent of who you truly are. And if the answer to that question is no, then I ask you to make a difference. Be yourself and be happy. Don't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep. What someone finds unattractive, others find beyond breath taking and beautiful. And wouldn't you want to be with someone who loves every inch of you? And above all, wouldn't you want to love yourself first? Because I do.