Once in a while, it really hits people that they don’t have to experience life in the way they have been told to. I learned at a young age that if I pursue the things that truly excite me, that they would reward in more important ways; like happiness. In a world where you can be anything at all, be yourself; and never apologize for saying how you feel, why say sorry, for being real? Plus, you’re going to get criticized no matter what, so you might as well do whatever the hell you want! I realize now, that people judging you only means you are a mystery they need their assumptions to define… they just can’t fathom your exceptional presence so they resort to small talk to try to explain you… continue mystifying them! It’s pretty sad if you think about it, how easy it is to be totally wrong about someone, to see one tiny part of them, and confuse it for the whole; but nothing on this planet can be loved, judged, or hated unless it is first understood. So, be kind to every person you meet, because everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about; remember that nobody is better than anyone else, we are simply all different, and it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to truly get to know someone, to understand them; but think of it this way, try to be the person you needed when you were younger; and don’t judge people based on someone else’s opinion of them, everyone deserves a chance to show you who they really are, based on facts you’ve collected with your own eyes. In shorter terms… ‘be soft, kind and loving… but also take nobody’s shit,’ because my only regret is that I didn’t tell enough people to ‘fuck off.’ Also, don’t ever change for anyone, because the people worth having in your life will love you just the way you are; and that’s how you can tell who you really like… the people you can think out loud in front of, because they vibe with you on a level that allows you to feel comfortable enough to be yourself, without holding anything back. Energy is real and it is contagious… I believe that a person can base an entire religion around falling in love with being alive… sometimes the most ordinary things can be made extraordinary by doing them with the right people… and before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes… give yourself permission to immediately walk away from anything that gives you bad vibes; because sometimes we just have to cut off the dead branches in our life, sometimes that’s the only way we can keep the tree alive… it’s hard and it hurts, but it’s what’s best… but don’t ever, feel guilty for doing what’s best for you… I’ve found that growing up means being honest; about what I want, what I need, how I feel, and who I am. You either love me or you don’t. It took me twenty-something years to learn how to love myself, I don’t have that kind of time to teach somebody else.