Who I Was.

“Oh, yes, the past can hurt. But, you can either run from it or, learn from it.” - The Lion King

I was the girl in the back of the room probably biting her nails out of fear the teacher would call on me or I was next in line to present my presentation. I doodled in my spiral notebook and only paid attention to that for the duration of the class. My hair was probably in a jaw clip and my glasses were either on my face or being cleaned on the end of my uniform shirt. It was middle school and the “awkward” stage of my life. I am not proud of my beauty choices or my decision to buy tennis shoes that made my feet look freakishly large, but that’s OK.

Who I am.

“I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am.” – Thomas Cooley

I am a work in progress, similar to an unfinished piece of art. If I was on display, some might look at me confused and might try to understand what they are in front of. They might criticize my color choices or why I placed them in certain places, but they don’t know how amazing the piece will look when it's finished. They only know my potential. I am more confident than I was, but I am fearful of what is to come. I know I am not perfect, but I am better than I once was. I do not care what people think and do not go by what others tell me I should be. I have switched from glasses to contacts, but I understand the beauty of what glasses can bring to my appearance. I am a work in progress, but that is OK.

Who I Want To Be.

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” – Bruce Lee

I want to love myself fully and be able to love others the same. I hope that when I wake up on Sunday morning, I do not dread the thought of sitting for an hour at Mass. I hope I look forward to praising God and hearing what he needs me to hear. I want happiness the most and to not be anxious all of the time. I want to be fearless and live in the moment. All things considered, I know that it is OK I am not where I want to be. I never truly think I will be the best that I can be, but I want to push myself and grow into someone who is always working on herself.