Unapologetically Me

I used to worry about what people would think of me. 

Am I too much? Too goofy? Too loud? Too silly? Too opinionated? Not opinionated enough? 

I would replay conversations in my head. 
Why did I say that?
Why did I respond that way? 
Did they know what I meant?
What if that came off wrong?

I would worry people were mad at me.
Or that they didn’t like me. 

It took up so much of my head space.

And the reality is, people probably weren’t thinking of me at all. They weren’t thinking of the things I said. And they surely weren’t mad, unless I actually gave them a reason to be. And in that case, I would probably know it and apologize. 

One of the things I love about growing older is the acceptance that comes with age. 

Not everyone is going to like me. 
I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
Some people may think I’m too much.
Some people may not want me around.

And that’s okay.
I don’t need to change.
I don’t need to become whatever it is they want me to be.
I don’t need to fit a mold. 

I don’t need to replay the conversations and worry about all the things I said or didn’t say. 

I just need to keep being who God created me to be. 
To accept who I am and accept others for who they are. 

Not everyone is going to like me.
And that’s okay.
They don’t have to. 

And the same goes for you, too. 
We all have our own gifts and talents and strengths and weaknesses. We all are constantly growing and changing, 

I hope I can continue to grow more into who I am meant to be. To be brave and bold and not worried about what others think. To be myself. 

Unapologetically. 
Me.