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Life Well Wandered

Life Well Wandered

2 January 2018 · 2 Comments

Embrace Who You Are

Lifestyle· Mental Health

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I’m weird. I’ve never had a ton of friends. I don’t like to go out. I don’t love the taste of alcohol or the way it makes me feel and would much rather spend my time drinking tea and reading/watching Netflix or hanging out with a close friend than partying the night away. (I also might be a senior citizen trapped in a twentysomething’s body, but that’s a conversation for another day…)

I’m weird. I stutter when I get nervous. I think of something clever to say way after the fact. I get nervous going to new places or meeting new people.

I’m weird. I’m a blogger and ‘Instagrammer’ but loathe being in photos. I don’t seek out “Instagrammable” or “trendy” places to shoot or write about. In fact, I tend to stay away from them.

I’m weird. I worry way too much about what other people think and I spend way too long wrapped up in my thoughts. And yet I tend to do the opposite of what people want me to do because I am extremely stubborn.

embrace who you are

I’m weird. awesome.

And, slowly but surely, I’ve embraced it.

I might not be “cool” or “trendy” or “popular” but I’m happy. And it’s taken me a long time to get here.

In today’s society, it’s so easy to judge your life based on what you see on social media. I think we’ve all had thoughts like: She must be so happy all the time because of all those smiling photos she posts every day. He must be so included and popular because of all those group shots that appear on his Facebook. She’s practically famous because her photo got liked 1,000 times.

But looking to other people for your happiness (or lack thereof) will not make you happy. It will not help you embrace who you are.

embrace who you are 2

 

And if you’re still struggling to find out who you are?

Take some time away from social media and/or people. Think. Observe. Feel. What makes you feel happy? Not that fleeting smile or good thought, but that deep feeling of warmth and contentment. What inspires you to live your best life? Is it when you’re taking pictures of pretty things? Is it when you’re hanging out with friends? Is it when you’re alone?

Take what you find and embrace it. You are unique. You are lovely. You are beautiful. You matter.

See also  Mantras for a Happy and Healthy 2017

Embrace who you are. Celebrate your weirdness.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

And, to be honest, the moment I started to accept myself and embrace who I am, I felt “lighter” if that makes sense. Happier. Less aware of my differences and more present with the value I bring to the table with colleagues, friends and family.

I still struggle with this sometimes. Who doesn’t? It’s a process. But I think it’s a process that I’m slowly learning how to navigate. Thank goodness!

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Comments

  1. katie says

    3 January 2018 at 02:12

    amen girl. one of my favourite quotes is “no-one is you and that is your superpower”. and it’s soooo true! absolutely loved this post, a kick ass start to 2018.

    wishing you all the best for the year ahead, lovely!

    katie. xx

    Reply
    • almathews says

      18 January 2018 at 22:32

      Thank you so much for your kind words :) I love that quote as well! I have one on my desk that’s similar that says “My worth is not defined by other people’s perception of me” and I look to it whenever I’m feeling down and it really helps.

      Happy 2018 to you too, Katie!

      Reply

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Welcome to my corner of the internet! Life Well Wandered is a travel blog where you'll find a little bit of everything. I love sharing itineraries from past trips, secret spots I've discovered on my travels, histories of places I find fascinating, and stories about my mental health.

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