Once upon a time, back in the land of high school, people led me to believe that there was no such thing as “staying true to yourself” and to really fit in you had to be something else. Someone else. Someone, perfect.
Nobody is perfect. Okay, maybe Brad Pitt is perfect. But is he really perfect? As I sit here typing my thoughts out onto this word document, I find myself contemplating what perfect truly is. Is it someone who has a perfect body, beautiful face, and has all the friends in the world? I don’t think so. You know what I think perfect is?
REAL
Someone who is flawed. Someone who is quirky. Weird. Imperfect. Intelligent.
We have been stuck trying to be something we aren’t, when it reality, there is so much more beauty in being yourself.
Oscar Wilde once said “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
To be happy in your own skin is the ultimate accomplishment.
It is unfortunate that the modern world we live in has led us to believe that in order for a girl to feel beautiful, or a man to have confidence, that they must be perfect. We often hide our goals and our dreams in order to be accepted by those around us. NEVER lose sight of the things that you want, the person you are, and the things that make you most happy.
The most beautiful people living in this world are the ones that allow their true selves to shine.
I will always look back on those days in high school. The days where I was scared to walk through the halls at times because I thought I would be talked about, or judged. The days where I stayed home on some weekends because I didn’t feel like putting on a happy face.
Those days remind me that living up to other people’s standards only makes me lose sight of who I really am.
But you may be wondering, who am I today? I am happy
Bare and Me 
HI Lauren,
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. We do appreciate it. We are just writing how we feel and doing things that we feel to be appropriate for our friends and family and readers that want to read what we do. Believe me, we do not think we are original in any of these things and we know it has been done 100 times before. Everything we do is authentic to us and that is what really matters. You are right, we should be citing our sources but remember we are new. BTW, it a tollhouse cookie recipe. The easiest. Thank you for your comments we do appreciate them. It is what will make us better.
Best wishes,
Laurie