this i believe

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always loved to be goofy, outgoing, sporty, silly, funny, and sometimes a little bit crazy. I love to laugh and make others laugh too. I grew up in a small community in which I am very close to my family and many of my closest friends, who are considered family too. I was brought up by a very open family to be kind and sharing and to look at the “inside” rather than the out. I'm never afraid to be who I am or show my inner self in front of my family, and I try not to hide my feelings. I believe not being afraid to show one’s inner self helps build one’s self confidence.

I'm not lady-like, gorgeous, or glamorous like the girls people see on television. I don't wear make-up, and I don't worry much about my looks-or mainly what people will think of them-because I know, inside, I am beautiful. I love to have fun with my friends and family whenever I can, I like to make people happy, and I love having fun being who I am on the inside without worrying about what I look like on the outside. I admire people who feel the same way. I enjoy showing my inner qualities with the people I love and that is the way I look at others. I believe it's not right to judge the personalities of others for the way they look. If a person has a kind heart, to me, they are beautiful. I see that people who show who they really are look very happy.

From when I was four years old, up until I graduated from eighth grade, I had a second family, at the school that I attended for 10 years. It's the smallest school on the island of Saipan (where I live) called Whispering Palms School. The people there were like family and I was never afraid to be who I was. My classmates were like my brothers and sisters, and my teachers were like my aunties and uncles. I showed my inner qualities around them and they, as well, accepted me for who I was. I hardly dressed fancy but I was still me.

Sometimes, while being my goofy, silly self, I see people outside my family who look at me like I might be crazy. I am aware of the things I do and what I look like while I do them and I don't worry when people judge me by that. My family accepts me for who I am and so do my closest friends. This makes me feel even better about being me.

Sometimes people make fun of me, or laugh at me for being silly and goofy, but regardless of what others think, I am who I am, and nobody, not even the closest people in the world to me, can ever change that-not even the closest people in the world to me. I've been and always will be a silly, goofy, funny, sporty person and sometimes I even dress funny or different from others around me and I'm not ashamed. I am happy with who and what I am-that is me. I love being the person that I am, and I won't let anybody get in the way or try to change me.

I believe the only person who can change me is me. If I'm happy with who I am, I'll just be “me”. I don't stress my feelings over the opinions of others on the way I dress or what I look like. The inner beauty is what matters most.