Going to a wedding tomorrow and seeing people I haven't seen in a while. Wish my skin was in better condition but this is about celebrating a special once in a lifetime event. Its not about my skin. I considered not going but that would be awful, all because of acne? No... I'm going.

As I am writing this I'm thinking about those that are so beaten down by acne and scarring that life has grown dim and not worth living. I am all too familiar with that feeling myself. But think about it, would we treat another person that way? Would we torture someone with incessant negative comments to make them feel worthless or even take their own life? I know I would never do that, but why do so many of us do that to ourselves? In the past i have been told I am ugly and that pain still runs deep... on the other hand I have also been told that I am beautiful even when I don't feel that I am and that is something I will choose to embrace instead. The mind is a powerful thing, we can make ourselves believe we are worthless just as we can believe that we have more to offer. Its all in our perceptions and how we choose to align our thinking.

Its an uphill battle for sure. You will have bad days and you will fall. What matters is that you pick yourself up again and continue to move forward. It doesn't matter how many times you have to do it, treat each setback as a new encounter. Don't let it sink its roots into past experiences you may have had. In this way, you lessen its burden on you and it becomes easier to deal with.

I hope this makes sense. I'm at a point in my life where I'm fed up with how badly I've been treating myself. I recognize now that I was allowing myself to get caught up in a distorted view of reality. No one wants acne, we all want clear skin but its not worth torturing ourselves over. Seek out support from family and friends, from people on this site. Equip yourself with the tools you need to push through each day. If it gets particularly tough, allow yourself to take a break.

Sorry if all this sounds cliche or like some super corny motivational speech. I myself needed a pep talk and figured I would share this with others as well. Just take what you need from it.

For fellow acne sufferers and myself....I will go to that wedding tomorrow!!!