You don't need to paint a perfect picture of yourself or your life for anybody. Just be real. If people can't accept you for the person you are, then perhaps you should not be in each other's lives. The only person whose approval you need to seek, is your own. Accept yourself as you are. If it helps, accept yourself as a work in progress. Don't allow people to put you down, degrade you or gossip about you. Set boundaries with people. You don't need many friends, you just need the right ones. Real people know that no one is perfect. They have let go of the pretense and expectation. The best friends are the ones who bring out the best in you and you in them. Be around people you enjoy spending time with. Be around people who inspire you.

Akiroq Brost