This often happens when folks are used to people-pleasing as a result of trauma. They’re often afraid of standing their ground so as not to cause waves or make a scene in case they upset someone else.

Because let’s face it: no matter what you do, don’t do, what you say or don’t say - you’ll always be judged either way. So why not make it simple and start living for yourself instead!? Apologizing keeps you small and, oftentimes, apologizing for being who you are is an action driven by fear. The reason you're really apologizing for what you just did, said, or thought is because you're afraid it might result in your being rejected, left out or criticized. Many people take others’ choices as a personal affront to themselves. If other people take different life paths than they did, it somehow invalidates or undermines their own choices. As you can imagine, this can wreak havoc on their overall sense of self—on their confidence and contentment in their own lives and their place in the world. If you are happy doing what you love, nobody can tell you that you are not successful ” Harry StylesIt might be helpful to remember that few people are thinking of you at all. When you go grocery shopping or out to grab a coffee, do you analyze everyone around you and make up stories about their lives? Or do you just go buy your eggs or latte and get on with your life? By learning how to become unapologetically yourself, you practice self-love and self-compassion. You accept yourself the way you are and recognize that you have a mind of your own, and therefore, it is okay to stand up for your beliefs and express your opinions. Final Thoughts Growing up in Serbia, where women are unapologetically very feminine, I came to London and realized that I wanted to keep this feminine element but give it a twist and challenge ideas of classical beauty.”– Roksanda Ilincic Realizing that was a real moment for me. It was a lightning bolt of truth that freed me from this people-pleasing attitude I’ve carried most of my life. If my feelings were as important as anyone else’s, I had the right and responsibility to speak up for myself, to protect my space, and to live my truth. What happened next was that I stopped being conflict avoidant.

That’s pretty much how everyone else feels too. They don’t care about what you’re wearing, and they aren’t analyzing your every move. They’re too wrapped up in their own lives—their worries, fears, insecurities, and personal problems—to pay you much mind at all. But this only covered one aspect of my life – my career. It didn’t consider my relationships, family, health or interests. So I kept journaling, compiling vision boards and working through what would make me content in all areas of my life. Debbie Millman’s ‘How to have a remarkable life’ helped me articulate my wildest hopes and dreams best. Do you know how to be unapologetically yourself? What does this phrase even mean? Continue reading this blog post to explore this phrase and know what happens when you become unapologetically yourself. Ms. Little is a new author and she put her foot in this book. I honestly couldn't put this book down. I actually loved both characters in this book and appreciate the themes that the author explores. Fatima after an extreme health scare has lost a lot of weight but doesn't think that she's good enough for Jaren because she's not as skinny as the women he usually dates. I only wish the author would have explored Fatima's depression a little bit more and how it manifested with her eating habits. How do you navigate life in this new body and still be happy with yourself? With Jaren he has to navigate cutting off poisonous people in his inner circle threatening his relationship. When you become unapologetically yourself, you view your life through your own lenses and not from the same one everyone else is using. You get to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Now that you’ve sorted out the details about how you want your life to look, put those into practice. How many sweet seconds of your life have you wasted by doing things you don’t want to do, simply because you felt some kind of obligation? Yeah, let’s put an end to that immediately.

Put yourself first, always. Make your daily decisions for yourself, not to meet anyone else’s needs or wants. Don’t cause a scene, don’t stand out too much. Behave and try to look like everyone else so you blend in and don’t make anyone else uncomfortable. If you don’t, you’re a shallow attention-seeker who’s out to cause trouble. Take the sensible path and set your dreams aside. Choose responsibility over joy, duty over passion. Keep a stiff upper lip, make do, and keep on keeping on.A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself and, especially, to feel, or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at any moment is fine with them. That’s what real love amounts to–letting a person be what he really is.”– Jim Morrison This is not the moment to wilt into the underbrush of your insecurities. You’ve earned the right to grow.”– Cheryl Strayed. You can’t make people be or do what you want. All you can do is be unapologetic about what you want and let others show up however they can.”– Gabrielle Bernstein. Suggested books: Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids, Root Magic, Meet Yasmin!, Sadiq and the Explorers, Ana & Andrew, Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spy, Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices, Any Day with You, A Place at the Table, Orca Origins)

When you become unapologetically yourself, you celebrate your wins, however small they might be. You know what is important to you and chase after your dreams.Jaren is BAE ! LAWD, this man was pure compelling talent on the stage and also in the sheets! He took control and was such a shield for Fatima. Little wrote the hell out of their coupling and I fell in a trance watching them take on the world while getting lost in each other. Fatima is such a down to earth character and I totally can see a lot of myself in her with her many insecurities. Her character development was quite evident throughout the entire book. Also, the minor characters added so much to the storyline; from the family and friends to the industry execs and staff! Their future can only be determined by two people who are willing to silence the outside world and live their lives UNAPOLOGETICALLY.