I’ve always been a little awkward.  Okay, I lie.  A lot awkward and it used to hold me back from meeting people and new experiences.  What if they don’t like me?  What if I say the wrong thing?  Don’t you just hate awkward silences?  No, that’s just me hoping you won’t continue this conversation because I don’t know how to talk.  I’ve become a lot more confident in myself, but I find I am still awkward and have just learned to embrace it.  I’m never going to be perfectly poised, but I’ll always have a sarcastic comment poised to take you down like a wildebeest.  You know how they say courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to continue despite it?  Well, that’s what confidence is.  Confidence is not about the absence of awkwardness, but the ability to continue despite it.

Being awkward is awesome!  Sometimes people think you’re being a snotty bitch who refuses to talk to others when in actuality, you’re just awkward.  You give people strange answers that make them bat their eyes, but if you’re confident, you can make it a memorable moment that both of you can laugh about.  You call it awkward.  I call it quirky and I’m damn quirky!  I accept it and know it’s a part of me because that’s just me.  When you learn to embrace all your detracting values, you learn to love exactly who you are.  Now say it with me: I’m awkward and I’m not afraid to admit it!  Whew!  Now, let’s join that after-school Star Trek club.