Lauren Evans

I love you from afar, and daydream about our imaginary friendship.

I hope you do not read this.

When a man twenty plus years my senior gave me attention on an online forum.

Perhaps one day soon my SO and I will take the loveliest couple selfie ever, and I will actually love it too.

Create your own path. Think about the skills that you do have and congratulate yourself on them. Nobody can do that thing quite like you can.

Maybe I should just give up this quest and say that my body is simply a “body” shape.

I will keep living my life how I want to live it – helping others and writing great things. And nobody can stop me, especially those that try to make me feel bad about myself

Achieving your dream isn’t going to happen in a day, and it isn’t going to magically become a lot easier to accomplish when you are older. You’ve got to make a start, because if not now, when?

Changing your mind and doing lots of different things can feel wrong. Why can’t I stick it out? Is the grass always going to be greener on the other side?

It certainly wasn’t brave of me to absolutely collapse as soon as the negative comments came pouring though. I ended up hibernating in bed, the duvet covering my shame, my body convulsing with the heaviness of tears trying their hardest to escape.

I learned that being myself was okay. It was enough. I could be my own person and still be liked, adored and even loved.

Sometimes books really do have all the answers.