For Christmas this year, my best friend got me a gift that seemed small at the time but has actually come to mean a lot more to me than I could have imagined. We got our nails done together. For the first time in my life, I have a beautiful set of acrylic nails. To me, they have taken on so much more meaning.

Previously, I had written an article talking about how I avoided makeup for years and by extension avoided coming off as too feminine. It's easy for women to be put down not only by men but also by other women for being the girl who is "too much" of a girl. Even though I had gotten past my feelings about makeup, nails were definitely a hold out for me. No matter who you are, it's impossible to not hold some type of assumption about what it means to be a woman and how you need to fit into that box.

Ever since I've had my nails done, I've been met with nothing but compliments. Even though it's a small thing that I didn't do myself, like makeup, it still feels good. I find myself waking up every morning and looking at them in wonder of how I ever went without them. My self-esteem has bumped up just a little bit and even if I look like crap during the day (we all know the day where you wear a t-shirt, leggings, hair up in a knot, and eye-bags uncovered by concealer), I still feel put together because my nails are done.

All in all, this has made me realize how important it is to not build yourself based on any societal rules or expectations. Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, women are overwhelmed by feelings of not being good enough or worse, feelings of pushing yourself to be too good. It's a game that frankly, I'm done playing. I'm not afraid to admit it anymore, I feel better with my nails done. I don't wear makeup every day but I do plan on having my nails done every day because I've seen how magical they can make me feel.

I want to emphasize in this article that if things like getting your nails done don't make you feel good about yourself or it's not something you enjoy, there's no need to feel pressure to get them done. In fact, that's the point I'm trying to make. I avoided this for so long because I felt like it was girly and overzealous thanks to the societal beliefs that I've been plagued with for my entire life. It feels awesome to reject those ideas and expectations. Do what makes you happy and do what makes you feel feminine even if it's not what the world expects of you. At the end of the day, it's more important to be yourself than anything else.