I’ve noticed something lately. I used to be a very agreeable person. I would smile and pretend to be interested in what people were saying even when those things were beyond my curiosity. I would pretend to be excited about a project at work simply because showing enthusiasm was seen as a good thing. I would stay friends with someone I had outgrown for the purpose of not hurting their feelings. But lately–it’s getting harder and harder to fake it.

I’ve stopped caring to impress everyone. Perhaps I’m losing my political correctness. And I think that’s a good thing! I am who I am. You can like it or leave it. This is me. And by the way, I absolutely love the person I have become. It’s totally okay if you don’t. We should all strive to feel this way. It’s freeing.

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In the spirit of celebrating everything that’s me, I’ll let you in on who I am (even if just a little):

I’m a raging liberal. * I have no religious beliefs, not even one. * I love spending time alone to read or write or make art. * I hate my job. I wish every day that I could walk out without stopping to turn the lights off. * I love to travel. If I spent the rest of my days trekking across the globe, I think I would be immeasurably happy. * I worry too much about money. These worries keep me from spending my days trekking. I think most of my worries about money are stupid. Yet, they still stop me from doing things. * I wouldn’t say I have a lot of friends, though I do have a few very close friends. My close friends know who I truly am. Most other people don’t (unless, perhaps, you read my blog–in which case, you probably know more than most). * I tend to be shy, but get to know me and you’ll wonder who that shy person ever was. * I want to be more daring and take more risks. * I’m an unapologetic neat freak. * I love to decorate and dream of having a place of my own. Even if it’s tiny, it’ll look like it stepped out of a magazine spread. * An old friend once told me I’m high maintenance. I disagreed saying I don’t need people to buy me things. He said, true–but you need a lot of attention. He knew me well. * I think most people care too much about things that don’t matter, then let the things that do matter pass them by. * I struggle between wanting a successful career and pushing it all to the side to do what I really want. * I think people find it easier to lie to themselves about what makes them happy than to spend the time finding out what actually does. * I only want one child. I don’t want one right now. By the time I’m ready, it may well be too late. In which case, I would happy to adopt a baby that needs a home. * I believe brutal honesty is the only way to make a relationship work–at least in the long run (in the short run, great sex is always a fun alternative). * Sometimes I think I’m lucky to have such a beautiful life. Other times, I think luck had nothing to do with it, I just made good decisions. * I think education is key to success. I don’t define success by societal standards. * I love with passion and likely sometimes love too much. But is there really such thing as loving a person too much? I think not.

photo credit: Gabriella Camerotti