Don’t apologize for who you are

I think most people forget, in business or personal, we are just human after all. Who doesn’t want to be that perfect business leader who is strong and visionary, who doesn’t make mistakes and protect us all? We speak about personal branding, the social media image of oneself… It started in the world of celebrities, then it spread quickly to the business world as well. The truth is, that image that the media portraits to us, doesn’t exist.

I choose to be human.

I am a woman full of bruises from her past. I am vulnerable to those memories as I still feel pain to remember them. However, I’ve become who I am because of my past. So no, I won’t apologize for who I am – moreover, I’ll embrace who I have become.

There are mistakes that I have made, I am not proud of them, but I own up to them. The only way to be honest to others is to be honest to myself. I am guilty, and I am ashamed. However, I have grown out of them and it is a part of me. I’m full of flaws. I choose to be an honest leader who is vulnerable and full of scars.

My past made me strong, it made me resilient. So I choose to own it and tell the stories as they are. I hope if nothing else, they inspire. I imagine someone out there who hear/read the stories, will see that silver lighting the way I did. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Believe in yourself, for you are the master of your own faith.

Be you. Nothing more, nothing less.