My spirit animal is a lioness; it is the female lion who hunts and provides, I resonate with that due to the fact that I am well aware of the leadership skills and strong personality I obtain. I embrace these qualities and use them to my advantage; being sure of myself and my strength.

I live my life being un-apologetically myself in hopes of providing empowerment for the younger females in my life, the way the lioness provides resources for those in her pack.

Now you're probably wondering, "what the hell does a lioness have to do with standards? "and my response to that is, a hell of a lot. The way you view yourself as an individual has a lot to do with your standards. If you see yourself in a negative light, you may feel that you are not deserving of certain things that everyone is entitled to.

Everyone has moments where they don't absolutely love themselves, I know I do. But it is important to be strong and get yourself out of those moments because self loathe can be a dark spiral into a void of misery.

Holding yourself to a higher standard doesn't necessarily correlate to a superiority complex, it is solely an acknowledgment that you would like to go about things differently than the masses. It is simply a demonstration to yourself that you are of value. Having high standards makes you a force to be reckoned with for you are carrying yourself in that manor sets you apart from others.

It not only communicates to yourself that you are legit about your goals, but it communicates that to those who surround you. Although respect is something everyone is entitled to, individuals are more inclined to do so if you give them a reason to.

The way you carry yourself can affect a lot in your life. Whether it be your successes or your relationships; Acknowledging that you are a valuable human and that those who are in your inner circle are lucky really puts things into perspective for you. It truly will change the way you treat those close to you as well as make you more hesitant to trust people, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Having the ability to decipher who is worth trusting and who isn't is a talent that will come with time. Always listen to your gut feeling, it is there for a reason. If something doesn't feel right, halt everything and figure out what about that situation is making you feel that way.

Having standards for yourself and for your work can only lead to success. My entire childhood I was reminded by the mother of a childhood friend, that I was different than most kids my age. Creating standards for myself was the topic of many casual car ride conversations on the way to dance.

She would ask me my goals and highlight that they weren't the generic goals of a kid my age and that if I wanted to reach them, I would have to go about things differently. Those conversations truly shaped my outlook on the way I lived my life; They allowed me to embrace those qualities that made me different and use them to get ahead in the climb to my idea of success.

Creating standards at a young age sound boring, it sounds like I didn't participate in the regular activities a child would. But I did, I had an extremely colorful upbringing; from days in the pool to sleepovers with friends and even Christmas cookie baking rituals. The only things that made my upbringing different from that of other kids were that I enjoyed different things.

I liked writing, I liked politics, I liked reading the newspaper and observational drawing. The interesting part is that I juggled both, being an extremely social individual with making time for the things that I loved.

Everyone knew what I liked to do, and the fact that it was different from their hobbies, but due to the fact that I embraced it and proceeded with my activities confidently, no one cared. If you are comfortable with yourself, no one could care less about what you do.

The individuals in which trolls pick on are those who appear to be insecure, those in which they know they can mess with. Essentially everyone is insecure but presenting yourself as the strength you are despite your insecurities is a way to communicate to others that you are not to be messed with.

There are various advantages to setting high standards and carrying yourself accordingly, from practicing self-love and obtaining a more motivated mindset, to being exposed to like-minded individuals that will assist and foster your growth. To be different, you must do things differently; when setting goals, keeping that in mind is essential.