“The sense of wishing to be known only for what one really is is like putting on an old, easy, comfortable garment. You are no longer afraid of anybody or anything. You say to yourself, 'Here I am --- just so ugly, dull, poor, beautiful, rich, interesting, amusing, ridiculous -- take me or leave me.' And how absolutely beautiful it is to be doing only what lies within your own capabilities and is part of your own nature. It is like a great burden rolled off a man's back when he comes to want to appear nothing that he is not, to take out of life only what is truly his own.” ― David Grayson

I’ve read that when you are comfortable with yourself, there is no room to be jealous of others or feel the need to put them down. I never actually thought that it was true.

I never thought I would EVER be the girl who was comfortable in her own skin and her individuality, I must say that it is rather liberating.

And I know it sounds rather cliché but it began the second I made making myself happy a priority.

The second I stopped apologizing for my flaws, stopped trying to be perfect and accepted myself as I am.

I gave up on being the person other people expected me to be, I can never be all of the things everybody wants me to be.

I started doing the things that make me happy just because it's fun, I want to and just that.... it makes me happy.

No matter how stupid it is, I just do it.

I’ve stopped stressing over the things that I cannot control.

I try and look at things from a more optimistic perspective.

I believe in my opinions and do not make myself feel guilty about how I see things and how I feel.

I’VE DECREASED MY LEVEL OF OVERTHINKING.

I stopped changing myself to keep certain people in my life, after all most of them are implacable anyways.

& the level of inner peace and jubilance that I feel right now is insane.

I always thought that when you were content with yourself, you would never seek self-improvement, but I’m coming to realise that when you accept yourself as you are, you are more prone to improving yourself.

You no longer fear what you lack, you look at yourself as you are and are brave enough to point it out and whisper, “I want to change that about myself”.

You can even look your insecurities dead in the eye and have the strength to either change them or live with them.

I originally thought that the quote that’s my title was limiting, only doing things that are in your nature but the more I think about it, the more I realise that you have to experiment quite a bit before you discover what your nature is, and genuinely wanting something is another indication that it may be in your nature, you know? Wanting something is perfectly natural when it’s for the right reasons. I also think it refers to people being themselves instead of being someone or doing things that feel unnatural. This is not to be confused with not doing things due to fear and ignorance. & the part about doing things within your capabilities, I’m interpreting that as doing the things that are within your control.