• INTRODUCTION • Yes, I said it. And I meant it. And I'm here to represent it. And so are a lot of my peers. Because you're not alone with your flaws. Far from it. Every person on this planet has a flaw. Flaws can range from something physical, something emotional, to something you just downright don't like about yourself. Momo055650, age 16 So, who is this person jumping straight into the scary flaws conversation right off the bat? Well, it's me, Emily-Anne Rigal. I founded the nonprofit WeStopHate when I was sixteen. Now, five years later, my passion is still helping others to feel comfortable being themselves. And flaws fascinate me. Do they fascinate you? Like, why do we have to have them and why do we spend crazy amounts of energy doing things like . . . In short, why do we have . . . Maybe you're in a really good space when it comes to flaws. Maybe you're enlightened on the subject and you want others to feel the same kind of liberation. If that's the case, you already know that accepting what you don't like about yourself sets you free. It's about just accepting your flaws and just moving on with your life because there's so many more things to life than just worrying about not having the clearest skin, not being the prettiest, not being the smartest, and not succeeding at absolutely everything that you do. Momo055650, age 16 We're all somewhere on this spectrum. Do you know where you are? Let's do something. Regardless of where you are on the spectrum, try imagining this: WHAT IF we collectively went ridiculously hardcore in the direction of . . . My makeup is almost always uneven. I have these really annoying fangs that even braces couldn't get rid of. I have terrible asthma that occasionally makes me look like a little bit of a wimp. Let's just say I have less than perfect skin. My hands are really chubby. And believe it or not I'm actually kind of a shy person. And as much as I sometimes don't like those qualities about myself, I know that I wouldn't be myself without those qualities. And the last thing I would ever want to do is be something that I'm not. AidanIsWeird, age 15 Excerpted from Flawd: How to Stop Hating on Yourself, Others, and the Things That Make You Who You Are by Emily-Anne Rigal, Jeanne Demers All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
