the quote jar: the "you" ness

Before I share the quote,  should explain the quote jar. I've been going through rough patches this year of obviously needing to reach down deep for some self-love. So, I created a quote jar. Not a typical jar full of quotes from famous people, but things that I wrote to myself or re-wrote for myself. Things I felt I needed to say to myself in moments where I get down.

I also made a date jar. I'm in my last semester at college, a hopeless romantic, and single. I like giving gifts and planning creative dates, so I figure, if no one else is going to take me out and spoil me, I should give all of this good loving to myself! It's been a long year, and I need to give myself as much self-love as possible. Treat myself the way I deserve to be treated so that when a man comes along, we both know better.

On to the quote:
"Being different is one of the most beautiful things on earth. Embrace your 'you'-ness."

I've spent a lot of time feeling that being different was somehow a bad thing. As most of my friends know, I'm very very emotional. I used to cry at the drop of a hat. My dad never really had to spank me, all he had to do was start fussing and I would start to cry uncontrollably. To the point where he had to figure out some other way to get his point across where he didn't sound like he was yelling at me (we have great communication now, by the way). I've always been emotional, and for some people, tha's hard for them to deal with. I'm a lot more comfortable with the fact that I am this way, and a lot less tolerant of people who want me to shut down my emotions. They make me who I am. They allow me to love my friends with a passion and a strength that they can feel. My true friends always know how much they mean to me. On the flip side, that much emotion makes it easy for people to hurt me. The good news is that with this emotion comes some strong intuition, so I can normally sense it coming. Doesn't make it any less hurtful though.

I've learned that my emotions make me the me I was meant to be. I am as healthy as I am partially because I am in tune with my emotions. I don't let stressors stay in my life for too long. I can't. If I did, they would run my life, because I feel them too strongly. I love the life I live, and I love the things God put together when He made me. I wouldn't have it any other way.

-be.YOU