In my teen years, I despised myself. I hated the way I was. The way I looked, the way I was unable to score good grades. I always said that I hated highschool because of the people. Looking back, it was my own self-hatred that shaped the way I viewed it. I projected, thinking that those people viewed me the same way I viewed myself. Did I regret it? Yes. But I preserved through it all and learned to love myself. The first step is to accept yourself, the good and the bad, for they are all a part of you. Only then can you truly be free.

Written by Amir