Dear Reader, 

At this moment, the world is a place filled with adventures, opportunities, and experiences that are waiting to be taken by somebody. They could be taken today, tomorrow, or in the next few years. They could be taken by the person next to you, behind you, or a person walking past you on the street. At this moment, the person inside you may be wanting to take that risk or step but may be scared because of the judgment that might follow. Maybe the creative colors in your mind are pleasing to your eyes but not the ones around you. Maybe, the person inside you is afraid to be themself.

In this lifetime, we are told that we can be whoever and whatever we want to be: a firefighter, a painter, a writer, perhaps an astronaut, maybe even a motivational speaker. Instead, we should be told, “be yourself.” From there, we will follow an authentic path made by the only person walking on it, you. A path that has been created and shaped by you, yourself, the person inside. 

Be yourself. Embrace your deepest desires, follow the dreams you have made, and love the passions you have. When you are yourself, you have the ability to be able to achieve any form of success: happiness, love, comfort, and friendship. Keeping your values and beliefs manifested in your core will provide confidence in yourself when moving forward. 

For me, being myself took a while as I needed time to accept the curls that were bouncing on my head each and every day. It took time for me to understand that sports were more important to me than playing with dolls. Being myself means rolling around in the dirt, fighting for a football with my three brothers. It means taking out the gel and product from my hair allowing it to be real, fresh, and me. 

Finding myself was not only in my personality or physical self, but it was also in my core, in my heart. Once I understood who I truly am, I began finding myself creating new hobbies and venturing off on my own path of creativity. I chose to do things that made me happy instead of making other people happy through their own wishes. I took control of my decisions and turned them into beliefs, values and who I am. 

To me, being yourself allows you to connect with people you wouldn’t normally connect with. It forms relationships through trust and comfort. It also forms opportunities like jobs and college. While showing your authentic self may be scary, pushing through the fear will open a door full of new sights to see. Staying true to yourself will keep you from asking the question of whether you are happy. Because inside, you already know the answer. 

There is a world full of individuals, each seeking their own importance, own destiny, their own self. This task may be nearly impossible if you are pretending to be someone else or bluffing your personality. Instead, an individual will find their own self by simply looking in the mirror. 

Out of all the people to be in the world, choose to be yourself. Embrace the imperfections, find quirky hobbies, and be unique. After all, you can not love something until you love the person that is inside of you.