Is the picture you see at the start of this article just a selfie? It’s clear that I’m not going anywhere special in my oversized sweatshirt, leggings, and sneakers. But this is special because being confident in oneself in the current social media climate is very difficult. I’ve never seen myself as a particularly outgoing or confident person. As I’ve started to embark on my career in the field of communications, I’ve had to start putting myself in situations that I found to be uncomfortable.

Learning to communicate with others has been difficult. In this social media-driven age, it’s easy to be an introvert and hide things about yourself from people.

I rarely take pictures of myself with my wheelchair. My small frame, as well as my inability to build muscle, makes me feel as if I have an unattractive and bird-like body structure. Taking a selfie from the waist up means I can wear push-up bras and form-fitting sweaters to make me feel more feminine.

In this climate that is mostly social media-driven, it’s effortless to hide the fact that I’m in a wheelchair from people if I don’t want them to know. A few years ago, I set up an account on a popular mobile dating app. I had been talking to a guy for almost two months, and the two of us were going to have our first real-life date. I told him I was in a wheelchair the night before the first meet up. The hesitation in his voice was evident and made my stomach dropped. We dated for almost six months.

I want to say that this selfie means a lot to me. In the coming week, I will be starting a YouTube channel to work on being a better public speaker and a better person. Being you is being beautiful, and I don’t want to run from the things that I can’t change anymore.