Declaration of Independence

You may recall that my New Year's resolution had something to do with being happy with myself. Simple enough. And yet, I find that upon close examination, I've spent a great deal of my life being unhappy with myself. Whether because of poor choices I'd made at any given time or guilt over feeling that I didn't measure up to some unrealistic expectations I'd set for myself, I've let too many days pass in self-loathing.

I want to make my family proud. I want to them to be happy with my life. Happy for my life. But sometimes, I realize that what I want and what they want are contrary. And that's okay. It doesn't make either party wrong or bad. It just means we've reached an impasse. The question is always who will give in - and it's usually me. I usually concede the point, at either the sacrifice of myself or, at the very least, at the expense of feeling like I'm a disappointment.

And so now, I'm making a declaration of independence from this endless cycle. In the spirit of my resolution, I'm forging onward with my determination to like myself - and stop obsessing over what I lack, where I fail, who I wish I was. Instead, I want to like me for who I am. To accept who I am...all the ways I am outside the box, rebelling against the group think, swimming against the status quo. Just like these guys.