‘I messed up my eyebrows so bad I drew them on for years. I shave my face and toes.’: Woman shares candid truths about her insecurities to encourage others to live authentically

“I don’t have a thigh gap. My thighs have touched for as long as I can remember.

I messed up my eyebrows so bad in middle school that I have no hair there and drew them on for years until I eventually got them microbladed.

I shave my face and the hair on my toes.

I never wear shorts because I have thunder thighs and giant calluses on my knees and ankles from sitting criss-cross applesauce for the last eight years.

I used to want to be a professional soccer player, went to college to play, then stopped because the only thing I wanted to play with was boys.

I dye my hair when I’m feeling stressed and stuck.

I suck at arguing. I get frazzled and sound like a bumbling airhead.

I have anxiety, but I manage it without help. It’s not crippling, just a nuisance.

I talk to God every week, but I haven’t been to church in years.

I feel like I don’t financially contribute enough to my family.

I have a dual-degree in criminology and psychology, but the only misbehaving crazies I interact with are those I birthed.

I went to law school and dropped out after a semester.

I can be super impatient and I’m rarely ‘in the moment.’

I yell. A lot.

I’m super-insecure, but present like I’m not.

I’m trying hard to figure out who exactly I am, but I’m not quite there yet.

But you wouldn’t guess all of that from this picture, would you?

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a thousand authentic words tell you so much more.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Nicole Merritt of Jthreenme, where the post originally appeared. You can follow her on Facebook, her website or podcast. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. 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 stories from this mama:

‘The last thing I wanted to do was hug her.’: Overwhelmed mom ‘swallows her pride’ to embrace daughter during meltdown

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‘I’m raising a Dollar Tree princess. She could get expensive. You may think, ‘Uh, heck no.’: Mom insists she’s going to raise budget-conscious kids as long as she possibly can

‘If not your breasts, they’ll attempt to convince you your worth depends upon your thigh gap, complexion, weight.’ Mom shuts down 8-year-old daughter thinking her body is ‘flawed’

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