“Most of you won’t know this about me, but I love raves, music festivals, and shows.
I feel alive when I’m around live music.
I can’t help myself, I just want to move!
In my early 20s, I attended music festivals and raves pretty regularly.
My cystic acne was still bad, but I was happy.
Seriously, so happy.
Despite my acne, I was more outgoing, more lively, and had more fun in my early 20s than I recall in any other part of my life.
I traveled during these years, explored different countries, I was more spontaneous, and I met a whole bunch of amazing people with interesting stories.
I didn’t shy away from life; I drank it in.
I was too busy experiencing life to worry about my skin.
This was the moment I had and looked forward to the next.
I welcomed this attitude into my life because it made me feel alive and happy.
Many of you might not think it is possible to live a happy existence while dealing with chronic acne, but I’m telling you that it is possible.
Challenge your perspective, change your attitude, step out of your comfort zone, make plans that get you excited for your future, practice gratitude daily, connect with others, and do more of what makes you smile, laugh, and feel joy.
My teenage years were very unhappy for me.
I attribute this to having lived with my acne brain for so long: that mental cycle of constantly worrying about being judged, not feeling good enough, worrying that people might stare, feelings of insecurity, all based on the condition of my skin.
By making the conscious effort of stepping outside of my acne brain and into the life I wanted for myself at the time, I found an abundance of opportunities that assisted in me being a happier person.
The bottom line is this – your acne is not stopping you from living your life.
Realize you have more control of your life than you’ve been giving yourself credit for, and start leading with your values to create the version of yourself you want to identify with.
With effort, time, and patience, you can live a happier life with acne.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Wendy Lewis from DFW, Texas. You can follow her journey on Instagram and her website. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
Read more from Wendy here:
Sometimes, You Need To Chill Out And Do Nothing
We Don’t Enjoy Our Acne, But We Deserve To Be Treated As Humans
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