The world can seem really big sometimes.
You catch yourself pausing for a moment and people watching, wondering what their story is and how they got here. You question who they are and how they seem like they have the perfect life. They look like they have all the friends anyone could ever ask for. They create bounds and laugh without fear of the world. Their confidence, strong-heartedness and beauty lights up every room the walk in and you envy that.
You ask yourself how they seem to have everything so perfectly put together. The answer?
They don’t.
You never know how someone is truly feeling until they loosen up their walls. We are all human. We are all not perfect—and that's perfectly fine. Our flaws and imperfections are what makes us who we are and we should be proud of that.
So your Instagram feed may not be “goals” or maybe you only got 64 likes on your last selfie you posted, while the person above you got 456. Why does that matter so much in today's society?
We shouldn't feel like we need to prove to the world that we are beautiful, likable and have enough friends to get over 400 likes on a photo. We should know that we are good enough and capable— no matter where we are with our lives. Maybe those 64 likes are real friends, the people who bring you up and push you to be your very best self and believe and you and your dreams. Those are the likes that matter.
Sometimes we lose sight of who are and why we are here. Please don't ever do that. The journey we took to get to this point. We should live everyday to enjoy where the road will take us. There are times we don't feel like we fit in or are "cool" enough to hang out with the "cool kids." It's funny, even the cool kids feel like they don't fit in sometimes. It's written along with the made up rules of beauty rumbling around in our minds, but to the outside world-- no one see that.
What's really important is that we never lose the person of who we aspire to be. We need to be strong enough to let our best selves shine. We need to be a role model to that five-year-old girl who used to live inside of us. What would that little girl with the wide eyes dreaming big dreams think of the person sitting inside of you right now? Live to make her proud, live to make her light up the rooms she walks in.
They say beauty is pain and beauty is everything but what's really beautiful is living the best life we can possibly live. Every day, we need to pursue what's going to make us the happiest. Break out of your comfort zone and stop thinking that people don’t like you— they do. Having confidence is the most beautiful thing a person can obtain. Confidence isn't doing something just because it will make someone else happy, confidence is doing something that makes YOU happy.
Go out of a limb and ask your friends who you're not that close with to go on an adventure. The worst they can say is no, but there's a good chance the want to explore the world and build friendships just as much as you do.
So what if you don’t know what you're doing and you have days that you feel like total dirt.
Newsflash: everyone does.
Do not let the fear of being on the outside keep you away from the circle. The only way you will ever get in is if you put your best self out there. You may feel shy or that you don't belong, but you do. You may not know it, but to someone you AREthat girl who lights up every room she walks in, don't forget that.
