Everything in this world has layers. You may not realize it, or see them right away, but they’re there. It’s like what Shrek said in the movies. He has layers, like an onion. And so do we.

Layers can be both good and bad. They help shield us from the world by locking our true selves deep inside the layers that others can see. And some layers can’t even be seen, because we have so many surrounding us. Our outer shell is the layer we present to the world, the one that we want everyone to see. But it isn’t always representative of who we are as people. Not exactly.

With our friends, and the people we trust, the layers fall away. The layers become transparent and they see who we really are. They understand us. I like that I can be myself with most of the people I know. I don’t have to hide. But with some people, we can’t show all our layers. There are still some layers that need to stay, to shield others from our true selves, the reality of our lives. Everyone doesn’t need to know all about everything I’ve been, or who I am when I’m not with them. Layers make us more complex, yes, but more interesting at the same time.

I do believe that we need to have people in our lives that we can shed all our layers with. Without our layers, we are exposed, naked, and sometimes that scares people. They don’t know how to trust in others to love them for who they really are. I sometimes wonder what makes people so self conscious that they can’t let others in. Especially when their true self is beautiful. It’s so important to find people that really get you, that you can connect with. They do exist. I’ve met some amazing people in my life, and I probably place too much trust in most of them. But I’m not afraid of letting them see the real me, the person I was always meant to be.

It all comes down to self confidence. When I was younger, I was an extremely shy person. I was not a social person at all. But I wanted to be. And when I did have a great group of friends, I still didn’t let them know all the things that bothered me, or what I was thinking about. I was the classic introvert.

I still am to some extent, but I changed. A friend of mine told me that I needed to talk more, to tell people things, to get out of my shell and speak up. Another friend told me that I shouldn’t take any crap from anyone. And over the years, I’ve found my self confidence, and I have become the me that believes in herself, the person that is sure of who she is, what she wants to do in life, and who she wants to spend time with along the way. And I’m not afraid of anything anymore. Life is too short to be afraid of ruffling feathers, or stepping on toes. Speak your mind, let people know what you’re thinking, shed those layers. Let people get to know the real you, and you will find peace and satisfaction that others are able to connect with you on a real level, your level.

It’s okay to still have layers, but you need to know when to let it all go, and just be yourself. Sometimes it’s okay to expose yourself, as long as you know that you’re with the ones you trust the most. Because at the end of the day, they’ll love you no matter what. And that’s what true friendship is all about.