Hello mah friends! *smiles big and waves aggressively* As you seen from the title, it is my one year blogging anniversary on this blog!! Yaaaay! Haha, it’s pretty cool to think about! Like it’s really been an entire year?! First off, I just want to thank y’all so much for all the love you’ve sent, it really makes me so happy each time reading all the precious comments from you, and seeing a new member of the #ChickenNuggetFam (Aka, a new follower) has joined our amazing group! And yes, Chicken Nugget Fam is the official name for the Sunshine & Rain community. 😂 So thank you all so much for all your support, sweet words, and being apart of everything on this blog!

But anywho, in celebration of our one year anniversary, I have created my very own tag! “Chapters of Confidence: Spreading confidence, one heart at a time.” I had started working on this tag awhile ago, about last fall, but unfortunately somehow lost all my work on it and it had almost been completely forgotten. But, I’ve been working more and I have brought it back!

The reason I had created this tag in the first place, was because there was a specific time I was going through where I literally had 0 self confidence, or esteem. I felt so bad about myself all the time and I ended up starting to hate myself because of it. It kind of just hit out of nowhere and kept coming in waves, and I didn’t understand why I felt so bad about myself. I didn’t like my personality, I wasn’t happy with what I seen in the mirror, and all I did was point out everything I hated that I seen myself as. There was no self love there.

It was a really hard time, and it still is hard because I am not saying “Oh, well i’m completely over it now.” Because it’s not that easy, and I still deal with this stuff alot. But I remember one specific day a few months ago, when I was at my worst. I was angry, sad, and I couldn’t stop asking myself “What is my purpose, and do I even have one?” “Who am I? Why am I here? What’s so beautiful about me?” Those questions overflowed my mind, and I couldn’t stop them. I told myself so many lies, like I didn’t deserve to be loved because of who I was, that I didn’t belong anywhere which just made me feel worse, and all I wanted to do was escape.

That day, I was so sick of it and so desperate that I sat down and said “ya’know what, I’m done thinking of myself like this.” I grabbed a piece of paper, and a pencil and just started spilling out words of encouragement to myself. I started writing down the things that made up who I am, and they were all good things. It just started to flow out of my heart and kept going. A few pencil scribbles later, I ended up with an entire list of things that made up who I was, and that I decided and chose to love about myself. I got rid of all the hate and hurt I had closed up inside myself and refreshed my heart and mind. This small little list gave me self love, it was like literally looking at myself all beautifully written down. It made me happy. I thought, “Is that really how God sees me?”

After I had finished the list, I started to think. “If i’ve gone through this, someone else out there must have too.” And that single thought broke my heart. Knowing that another teen was feeling the same burning hurt that I was, who felt they didn’t belong, who hated themselves so much, immediately lit a fire inside my heart and inspired me to do something about it.

Here are the rules for this tag:

1. Use the same featured image for the tag (Which is the one that I have designed and have displayed above, but definitely feel free to make your own image to display along with it!)
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you, and pingback to the tag’s creator (That would be Hailey at https://throughsunshineandrain.home.blog/)
3. Talk about some ways that you have struggled with self confidence or esteem in the past, or things that have helped you with it. (As I did in the couple paragraphs above)
4. Out of self love, and confidence, make a “List of you”. A list of however many things you’d like that you think make up the beautiful you! And end the “List of You” with a simple “I am (your name).” The List of You is meant to boost your own confidence, and self esteem. It is not out of bragging, but simply out of self love and encouragement! It is okay to be proud of who you are, and to show that you believe you are beautiful!
5. Nominate as many people in the tag as you want, spread the message of confidence to as many hearts as possible! You can even nominate friends that don’t have blogs, and have them do their post on your own blog.

Alright with all that said, here is my own “List of You”. Again, this is completely out of self love, esteem, and to install and engage self confidence! I do not want to boast about who I am at all, it is completely meant to tend to my own heart and mind and to inspire you to create a list as well!

1. I am strong. Mentally and physically.
2. I am pretty, and I mean absolutely gorgeous just the way I am! #UGoGurl!
3. I am smart, and I know what I am doing.
4. I have my own unique, and amazing sense of style.
5. I am creative, and crafty.
6. I am an independent woman, who can do anything! #IAmWoman.HearMeROAR!
7. I am pretty freakin cute.
8. I am a singer, and have a passion for music.
9. I am funny, I love to laugh, and have the ability to make others laugh.
10. I am committed, and dedicated.
11. I am a minister, and can be an example to others.
12. I can make any time enjoyable, and memorable.
13. I am a ukulele artist. *fixes bow tie*
14. I am a good friend.
15. I am a passionate blogger.
16. I am an amazing big sis’.
17. Everything I do is my own form of art.
18. I am a lover of pizza rolls.
19. It is okay for me to cry.
20. I am precious, and loved.
21. I can enjoy, have a good life, and have just as much fun as if I had a boyfriend in it.
22. I have a specific God given purpose to fulfill on this earth that is all my own.
23. I walk with confidence, without fear, and my head held high.
24. My flaws and mistakes do not define me.
25. I am my very own person, and I am free.
26. Yellow is the color of my soul.
27. I make my own decisions, and I am responsible.
28. I am not and don’t have to be what others tell me.
29. I am a loved daughter who is looked upon as precious and beautiful by the most high King of the universe.
30. I am Hailey.

Now for my nominees!

I am doing this a little different though. I am not going to make a small list of people I am nominating for this tag, I actually nominate everyone that is apart of the #ChickenNuggetFam for this tag! Even if you aren’t following Sunshine & Rain and just stopped by, I still encourage you to follow along but I also challenge and nominate you for the Chapters of Confidence tag! So, yes! You there! I nominate you! Please spread this message of confidence as far as you can. This is something that I am really passionate about, and really tugs at my heart. I hope for this message to reach as many other hearts as possible! ❤

I want anyone that is going through the hurt that I did, and still do, to know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God! You are precious, loved, and oh so beautiful! You should love who you are, because you have a purpose that is all your own and you are amazing. You don’t have to make a Chapters of Confidence post, but I still very much encourage that you atleast sit down with a pen and paper and make a List of You. Pour out all the things that you love, and the great things that make up who you are! I can’t wait to see where this tag reaches, and I hope you enjoy making some of your own posts!

I’ll see ya later Chicken Nugget Fam, so stay confident, and keep smiling! Lot’s of love,