I don’t usually read self-help books, but I recently came across The Subtle Art of not Giving A F*#k by Mark Manson. It’s not the usual self-help book, where the author gives the reader tips on living a positive life and encourages people to be the perfect optimist. Instead, Manson encourages the reader to be the opposite because let’s face it, sometimes life throws us some curveballs and sometimes in life we don’t always know what we are doing and it’s okay to not know. When the reality is the secret to living a better life is what we make of it. We shouldn’t let others and society set the standards of beauty, success, health etc. Instead we should set our own standards for ourselves because at the end of the day, it is our happiness.
As a person struggling with self and anxiety, I learned over time that sometimes we need to stop and realize that we are perfect the way we are. In today’s society we are constantly comparing ourselves to the person next to us or that person on Instagram with the filtered picture. Many of us forget that we are human, not made to be perfect, but made to be happy with ourselves. So next time you’re feeling down, do something that brings you joy. Mediate, sing, dance, draw and the list goes on. In the kind words of Mary Dunbar, “We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light”.

-Nixza