I have had self-identity issues for as long as I can remember growing up, but as I’ve matured and worked through a lot of those things in my early adulthood (I’ll be 30 soon), I am starting to get a lot of clarity on how it is I come off to other people. Like I can see myself in third person, which I think is a skill I’ve been working on in my head for a long time. But it’s also interesting when you gain that perspective and realize that so much of what you’ve been putting out is not what’s happening on the inside. A lot of trauma has made me tough and independent. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay inside. My mind is still looking for things to dislike about myself all the time. Through research and a deep desire to be nicer to myself, I’ve learned how to cope with this part of myself to not let it destroy me. I’ve realized the way I come off to others, in many ways is exactly who I am. Confident & resilient.

It’s all about perspective. We don’t have to hate ourselves forever.