Just As You Are

      And cue sappy music.  This one is gonna get deep, like, super fast.  

      I want to touch on a subject that is near and dear to my heart.  I, too, at a time went through this. Sometimes, it is hard for other people to come to terms with it.  Denial is often present in this situation.  I want to talk about you.  More importantly, self-acceptance.

      The way that you feel about yourself is important.  You need to have a valid acceptance of yourself to be happy.  If you are not fully happy with who you really are, you will never achieve true happiness.  Honestly, from someone who had tried to be a completely different person besides who I really am, I know that it is hard to express the essence that is you.  In the world today, there are too many standards set for people to be different; to change every aspect that makes up the beautiful, and pure human being you are.  And, sometimes, we succumb to their standards.  We don't want to accept ourselves, our real selves, because, A: We are afraid of what others might think, or B: Society says different.  But let me tell you now, you shouldn't care what others think.

      It should only matter what you think about yourself.  So what if other people don't like it, you are your own person.  You are the real person, who decides what they want and who they want to be.  Self acceptance is a tricky thing.  It is a two way street.
      How can others accept you for who you really are; flaws and all, if you can't accept the flaws that make you, you?  One can spend years trying to figure out who they are, and coming to terms with it.  That is okay; you should be honest with yourself.  Any quirks, glitches, or flaws that you may possess, show them; let them be free.  Those little blips are the purest thing that makes up someone.  It shows that you have accepted yourself; that you are happy with yourself.  It may take time, but in the end, the acceptance of yourself is the first major step to true happiness.