I feel like I've gone my whole life saying "Sorry." But why the hell am I apologizing? At 2:38 in the morning, this epiphany hit me. It's time to stop apologizing for who you are. We are all born differently and being different from the rest of the crowd isn't something to be ashamed of. Some people tend to be extroverts, some introverts. Some outgoing, some shy. Some risk-takers, some rule followers. I'm tired of people passing judgement on the actions of others and talking behind someone's back. "Oh, she posted THAT on Instagram?," or, "I would have NEVER done that." It's a load of BS. I don't understand why people feel the need to talk about everything someone does and add their two cents to everything. Focus on yourself. Things people say are just that, things, words, none of it is relevant. In your life, you have the power to do whatever you want (ya know, except murder) and you should never feel ashamed for having the courage to stand out from the crowd.
We all identify differently. Personally, I identify as a free spirit. I no longer care what people think of me. I have let go of stereotypes, preconceived notions of my personality, and any and all negative comments about myself from others. It is not easy to let go of all the clamor surrounding every move you make--but it is worth it. To be someone who can stand up and say, "I don't care what you think, I'm doing what makes me happy," is a frightening phrase to your haters. They like to see you hurt by their comments. They feed off of your insecurities. If their criticizing words aren't relevant anymore, they lose their sense of identity.
I'm a big proponent of the "you do you" mantra. If you're nice to me, I'm nice to you. If you're rude to me, I'll turn away. I don't have time to feel sad about what others think of me. If you wanna post a selfie on Instagram, do it. You're beautiful, and I'll sure as hell throw you a like and an encouraging comment. If you wanna go out and experience the world, branching away from people holding you back, I'll support you. Life is too short to be concerned with everyone else's perceptions of you. I admire people who do what makes them happy despite comments from the Peanut Gallery.
What makes you special are your flaws, your talents, your attitude, and your personality. Stop saying "sorry" any time someone demeans you or makes you feel less like yourself. They should be apologizing for butting into your life and making decisions for you. Don't let anyone take away who you are. Stop hiding behind society's idea of perfection. Flaws are beautiful, ambition is beautiful, self-love is beautiful--you are beautiful. Embrace your eccentricities, it is what separates you from everyone else. Embrace the weirdness, embrace being different.
