Embrace Yourself

I'm going to be honest... I used to be extremely self-conscious about being a female with a more 'muscular' build. I started playing soccer at the age of 5, and in high school I participated in weight room training in the summer to prepare for the fall soccer season, ran indoor track in the winter, and played lacrosse in the spring. This probably explains why I have a more "bulky" muscular build than the average Asian female.

I remember people would often point out my "muscles". It was never directly malicious, but I can't say I felt complimented when people would say "Dude, you have really manly biceps!" or "Your calves are beastly!". It wasn't until recently that I started to embrace my more athletic build. 

I thank the wonderful fitness community on instagram for allowing me to find others who are just as excited about fitness as I am, and for embracing muscles and strength regardless of gender. To me, being strong and healthy is far more satisfying than being skinny and feeling frail. I love pushing myself to be a better version of myself each day -- both physically and mentally.

In my opinion, it's very important for your well-being to have self confidence and to be happy with the person you are. If you're not satisfied with the person you are today, I encourage you to embark on a journey to be that person you will be happy with. Set goals, map out a plan, create a timeline, and just go for it. You'll get there. This can apply to education, career, business, fitness, and pretty much anything in life.