I believe in Me

For my English class we had to write an essay about what we believed in. This is what I came up with:

I believe in various things. For example, I believe I have a Father in Heaven. I believe in my family and friends. I also believe in love and happiness.  The list could go on and on. I believe in so many things, but I think they all are contributors to one belief. Most importantly, I believe in me. Believing in yourself is the foundation of life. Thankfully I have so many things that have helped me learn to believe in myself and have reminded me why I believe in myself.

            Growing up I have always struggled with having self-confidence. It was hard for me to put myself out there. I was always so scared of being judged or labeled. Until I finally realized that I am me, and that no one can change me, I came to see all the things that shape me.

            I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in the gospel. I have always believed in it, but until March of 2010, I finally realized that it is truly what makes me who I am. By living the gospel, I have set standards. These standards affect what kind of friends I have, the parties I go to, and how I want others to think of me. At a church meeting last March, Elder Uchtdorf talked to the young women about their futures. He went on to talk about how we are living in our “once upon a time.” We, as daughters of God, are living the fairytales we have always dreamt about. He told us how much our Heavenly Father loves us and that we are special. Lastly, he told us we deserve to have a “happily ever after.” If we work hard in our lives and live righteously we will be blessed to have a perfect ending. This talk meant so much to me. I realized that I am special and that I deserve so much. My Heavenly Father believes in me so I need to believe in myself. If I can learn to believe in myself than I will have the life I dream about.

            My family is so dear to me. They have had a big impact on my life and who I am today. Having a family that loves and cares about me has been a big boost in my self-esteem. I have always known how much my family loves me, but recently is when it was proven to me. Life has given me its fair share of hard times and my family has never let me down. Having the support and back up from my family during all the rough times is what keeps me going. I have come to realize that if you mess with a member of the Christiansen family, you are messing with all of us. Watching how protective and caring my family has been for me is eye-opening. Knowing they love me gives me the boost I need to keep going through the hard times and appreciate them more during the not so hard times.

            Sometimes I forget that my friends are not my family. I have been lucky enough to be blessed with such amazing friends. These friends of mine are the people I can rely on for anything. I can cry on their shoulders, laugh until we cry, and lastly, they are my partners in crime. These friends of mine are such examples to me. Throughout high school, I had two best friends, Lexi and Rachel. Nothing could come between us. The fall after we graduated, we all went our separate ways. Each of us were going to different schools, and had very different lives. I was crushed. I was not sure what I would do without these girls. After moving away, I gained two new best friends. Utah State has shared its fair share of hard times for me, but it has also pushed me so close to McKell and Megan. Even though I am far away from Rachel and Lexi our friendship has not faltered. We are still close and I have the privilege of having two more friends I cannot imagine life without. These girls have pushed me to be the best I can be. They all are examples to me and I try to live up to them. Watching them progress in life makes me want to progress. These girls have never judged or labeled me. They have gotten to know and love me for who I am. I can truly be myself around these girls and I know that they care about me. The examples they set for me, and that they love me for who I really am reassures me that I am special and deserve so much. These girls have been so good for me and they help me stay focused and reach the goals I have set.

            Love is a complicated thing. It is hard to tell love apart from infatuation. Love is hard to find and takes a lot of work. No matter how hard love is, I firmly believe in it. I believe in loving who you are. Once you can learn to like yourself then you can learn to love others. You have to nurture yourself and care for yourself before you can take care of anyone else. Loving who you are is the most important thing.  Love is a beautiful thing and I have seen the benefit of love through family members. I have seen how hard you have to work to stay in love and to make love last. I believe that love can truly be long-lasting and that everyone deserves to love and be loved. All we have to do is learn to love ourselves and then we are ready to take the next step and love others.

            Happiness is so important. To be happy is something everyone deserves and strives for. Audrey Hepburn once said: “The most important thing is to enjoy your life- to be happy- it’s all that matters.”  We all work so hard to find the things in life that truly make us happy. I think happiness is different for each person. It does not matter how you find happiness as long as it is true happiness. In my life I have taken for granted the things that make me happy. I never realized or appreciated how happy the gospel, my family and my friends make me. They have all played a great role in my life. They have all given me the boost in self-confidence so that I can believe in myself. When I believe in myself I am truly happy.

            I am so thankful for the wonderful people in my life that love and care for me. Without the gospel, my family, friends, love, and happiness, I would not believe in myself. I have to work very hard at my self-esteem and I am so lucky to have so many things that help me see who I really am. I have to learn to believe in myself if I want to be happy. Life is really hard and can really tear me down. During the hard times, I need to remember who I am and what I stand for. By doing that, I can work on myself.  The most important thing in life is to remember that I believe in me.