Angelic: Be Yourself!

I love having guest bloggers! I especially love when someone comes to me and specifically asks to share their story or share a message tha thas moved their heart recently. Angelic has guest posted on the blog before and I am so excited that she contacted me and asked me to share another message with you!

My name is Angelic and this is my third guest blog here. Each time I hope that I reach and help at least one person. Today I want to remind you to Be Yourself. I'm a 30 year old single mom. I love punk and hard rock music. I have 18 tattoos. I'm often found in holey jeans and flip flops. I also absolutely adore all things rockabilly and pinup vintage style. If you knew me as a teenager though all of this would shock you and that is where this story begins.

I grew up in a smaller city just north of Indianapolis. I went to a relatively decent sized high school with most of the standard stereotypical groups. I spent the majority of that time trying my best to fit in with the popular crowd. I can tell you that I never succeeded. Sure, I had plenty of friends and I knew my fair share of people, but for the most part I just blended in or went fairly unnoticed. None of that stopped me though. I had my hair done to fit in. I wore Abercrombie and Hollister clothes because that is what everybody wore. I went out and did things that everybody else was doing and I did my share of being a party girl. But these things were not me. I did and wore things so I could be like everyone else and so people would like me. In secret, I was the Emo punk girl. I was a writer. I was also smarter than I let on. I was fighting an internal battle of being two different people. Let me tell you...it is exhausting and a huge mental and emotional strain. It made me very insecure. It hurt. Putting on a facade for people. It got to the point that I even had to plaster on a fake smile and hide my true feelings. These fed into some destructive behaviors to try to cope with the pain. 

Fast forward a few years and you get me as I am now. It took me well into my twenties, becoming a mom, and going through a divorce to learn a hard lesson. Always be yourself. I now have my tattoos and I dress how I'm comfortable. I blare my punk and rock music and enjoy my concerts and music festivals. I am an open book about what I like and who I really am. I teach my son to be the same way because I don't want to see him struggle like I did for years. 

The right people are going to love you no matter what. You don't have to fit in to be an amazing and strong person. Most of all nobody is perfect. Our flaws, our passions, our hearts, our souls, our talents are what makes each of us unique. To be truly happy and healthy you need to be yourself. I can't sit here and say that I always get it right or that I don't still struggle with wondering why somebody doesn't like me. However I no longer let it consume me. I'm better off being who I am and be with the people that accept and support that. 

So even if it just takes baby steps...Be Yourself!