I'm 29 years old now and for all my life, i was avoidant, always pessimistic about what others think of me, and ashamed of my past and my behavior. We all know it too well.

Only for the past year, i've tried - and it's been damn though and still is - to change the way i interact with people. I've opened up myself, passed my opinions, asked people out despite the fear of rejection, owned up to my mistakes and apologized to those i've hurt. 

It's astonishing how well it is received and how it triggered a positive feedback loop of self-perception.

I am fairly happy with myself now and all it took was to bring up the courage to express how i genuinely feel.