In a nutshell.

I used to be ashamed of what I looked like. Taller than average for a girl, athletic instead of stick thin, avoided makeup like the plague, and the color pink might as well have been my kryptonite.  It took years to get me to finally realize that I am stuck with me, no matter who I pretend to be.

So instead of denying who I was, I embraced it. Because lets face it, everybody's gonna laugh at a little chicken who tries to make everyone happy, but no one is going to try to push a peacock into being anything but itself. So out came the sundresses with the cowboy boots, the makeup, the leather jacket, the coffee house singing on Saturday nights and low and behold -some new friends. Friends who actually thought I was awesome for being me. And I haven't looked back since.

Not to say that I wake up every morning jumping out of bed exclaiming "I love being Alice!" (Even if I were the most optimistic morning person on the planet, I doubt I would say that.) But I know that bad days, drama, and rumors are just that. days, dramas and rumors. No one remembers or cares after a week. And I most certainly will not allow myself to get caught up in somebody else's petty issues. Unless of course I love them. But that's different.

So my people; let your freak flag fly. It's so much less stressful than trying to fit yourself into a mold that is clearly the wrong size and doesn't accentuate your awesomeness. Nothing is more uncomfortable than something that just does not fit. 

So don't fit in, stand out. It's worth it.

Love,

Alice