So, I just read this awesome article about ditching our “perfect” masks and being real with our challenges and triumphs. It got me thinking, why not try it out? The more authentic we are in our relationships, whether personal or professional, the deeper those connections will be.

Now, let me tell you about my imperfect, true self. Brace yourself, because I have a tendency to laugh so hard that I pee my pants. Yep, I find everything hilarious. People say I should be in the audience of a stand-up comedy show, laughing my head off. I don’t discriminate – I laugh in good times and bad times. I’ve even burst into hysterics at weddings and funerals. Even in the most stressful situations, when everything has hit the fan, you’ll catch me chuckling at life’s absurdity. I believe the only thing we can control is our attitude, so why not find humor in the ups and downs? Life’s like a roller coaster – throw your hands in the air, cackle, and maybe even have a little accident.

Here’s a crazy fact: despite my terrible grades in high school, I got nominated for valedictorian. It’s a wild journey from being voted “most likely to be the first female president” and giving speeches in sixth grade to barely scraping by in high school. My academic performance took a nosedive after my dad’s suicide when I turned 14, and it took years to recover. But here’s the thing – I’m forever grateful to the teachers and mentors who saw potential in me, even when my grades were horrible. They continued to support, push, and recommend me for opportunities.

Let me take you back to my awkward kid days. At the ripe age of nine, I wrote a play called “The Silent Indian Girl.” Funny thing is, I’m not Native American and I’m definitely not silent (aside from when I’m asleep). As a child, I spent a lot of time hidden away in my room, reading, writing, and feeling incredibly self-conscious. You won’t find many pictures of me from those years – I was always doing something weird with my face to avoid being captured on film. If there were smartphones back then, every picture of me would’ve been deleted or discarded. That play was my way of expressing my feelings of being different, awkward, and unheard. To my surprise, my fourth-grade teacher read it and recommended that we stage it for the entire school. Not only did I direct it, but I also cast myself as the lead (so much for being silent). It was a moment of realization for me – writing and sharing our deepest fears and truths can be powerful, impactful, and bring us closer to others.

Okay, brace yourself for this one. I had to wear a back brace for scoliosis. It all started after I took a yoga class with my aunt and thought I broke my rib cage. Turns out it wasn’t broken, but I did have a severe case of scoliosis. The options were surgery or wearing a back brace for years to correct the curvature. I chose the brace, thinking I could take it off occasionally. Boy, was I wrong. The first time a boy asked me out to the movies, I excitedly ran down the stairs without the brace… and my mom promptly sent me back upstairs to put it on, tears and all. It led to some tough experiences, like being stood up for prom or dumped in a school trash can. But it also taught me empathy and gave me plenty of laughs during those crazy teenage years when I thought the world revolved around me. At the time, it was hard to appreciate, but now I’m thankful for how the brace shaped me as a person.

Now, here’s a not-so-secret secret about me – I worry way too much about how others perceive me. I absolutely admire people who embrace their quirks and don’t give a damn about what others think. I’m like a magnet to those funny, out-there individuals because deep down, I want to be like them. But I’m often too scared and critical of myself to fully join in the fun. If you’re the kind of person who dances like nobody’s watching, sings a little too loudly, tells outrageous jokes, and lives without fearing judgment, I want to hang out with you! I owe it to these fearless folks to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and embrace my true self, so I can truly appreciate their awesomeness.

So, there you have it. I’m imperfect, I laugh until I pee my pants, I struggled in school but still accomplished great things, I was an awkward kid, I wore a back brace, and I worry too much about what people think. But you know what? I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s all part of what makes me, well, me.