I am shy. I've always been like that and like to think that I always be somewhat shy. Growing up I never wanted to be the center of attention. I was always content with watching other people enjoy their moments in the spotlight. Because I grew up watching everyone else, I began to notice things about people that you don't usually realize until you get older. Not to toot my own horn or anything but I am pretty good about reading people. While this was great sometimes, other times I felt a disconnect between other people my age and myself due to the fact that I felt more mature in certain situations. This caused me to feel like I didn't always fit in with my own friends, which was hard for me to deal with. When I first saw the movie, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," I really connected with the whole concept of being a wallflower. Obviously I'm not exactly like the characters in the move but seeing these people who were kind of considered outcasts find each other really stuck with me.

I had always thought that it was oh so very important to push yourself to become more and more outgoing as the days go on. While I do think that this is true, I believe that it is more important to stay true to who you are and embrace your shyness If that's something you deal with. Just because you may not be exactly like everyone else doesn't make you less important than them. I tend to find that we like in an extroverts society; one where we must make our presence known, assert ourselves and be ambitious which can be difficult for introverts to do. The pro of this is the fact that an introvert could benefit from putting themselves out there more but it's important for everyone, regardless if they're introverts or extroverts, to stay true to who they are.

I would not change for anything, who I am today. I am proud to identify myself as an introvert and continue to live my subtle type of lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with being and identifying as a wallflower because there will always be people in the same boat, feeling the same way as you. Staying true to who you are has to be one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Just because you may be shy does not mean that the things you have to say and the thoughts that you think are not important. Embrace your shyness for it's much better to be true to yourself rather than being someone you are not. With that said, try to stay true to you while still pushing the boundaries to try new things. Because in the end, while everyone may have their own struggles, we are all able to overcome our personal obstacles and make us all better people in the process.