[Skirt: JCrew (similar) | Blazer: Gap (old) | Top: ZARA (similar) | Boots: old | Bag: Target | Necklaces: c/o Stella & Dot | Bracelets: Kenya, InPink, & Forever 21]

I used to try to cover up my mistakes or hide my failings. Often. A lot. Most of the time. I thought admitting mistakes or broadcasting my failures was a sign of weakness, like I was showing the world I’m immature and not perfect.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that the opposite couldn’t be more true. Or something. Meaning that, admitting when I’m wrong, acknowledging my mistakes, and sharing my failures, is actually a sign of maturity and growth.

I mean, for YEARS I hid my issues with my debt from my friends and even my family. I was embarrassed and I was ashamed. Now, I’m sharing my story with the world in the hopes that what I learned through FIXING my mistakes and my total financial failure – might actually HELP someone. Then maybe, just maybe, someone won’t make the same mistakes I did.

By being honest with myself about my struggles as a kid, I’m admitting that I wasn’t, nor will I ever be, perfect – and that’s OKAY.

I definitely don’t have it all figured out – and that’s why I try to work harder every day at admitting when I’m wrong, admitting when I screw up, and admitting when I fail. Because then I can learn from it and then someone else my learn from it. And then I’ve taken the first steps towards avoiding insanity.

You know, insanity being doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

What about you? Do you admit your mistakes and share your failures? Or are you more akin to hiding them?

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OKAY, so NOW it is time for the #YOLOmondays LINK-UP with my awesome co-host Carly from Lipgloss & Crayons! We had 109 AMAZING bloggers link up last week and I could not be more excited to “meet” you guys and I LOVE seeing how y’all mingle with each other!

If this is your first time here, #YOLOmondays is a chance for us to link up anything we want (as long as it’s a blog post…). You know, cause it’s Monday, and what better way to jazz up your mundane Monday than to link up and meet some new bloggers?

Also, #YOLO stands for You Only Live Once. Inquiring minds wanted to know.

Carly and I love seeing y’all linked up every week!

The Rules for #YOLOMONDAYS Link-Ups:

1. Follow your hosts Molly @ still being [molly] and Carly at Lipgloss & Crayons!
2. Grab a button and / or post a link back here in your BLOG POST (NOT your blog’s main page) so your readers know what all the #YOLOMONDAY-ness is about. We love you guys linking up and we do go through and read all your posts… so if you do not give credit, we will have to remove your link. That’s no fun, right? Right. So be nice and share a link! Pretty please? 🙂
3. Link your blog post up using the linky tool below! It can be ANYTHING! An outfit post, a giveaway, a story, a recipe, whatever. Why? Cause it’s #YOLOMONDAYS!
4. Visit a blog or four that you’ve never been to before and leave a #YOLOMONDAYS comment – you never know, you might “meet” someone new that you will lurve!
5. Have fun! Cause #YOLO!

  sharing my story as a part of #NaBloPoMo.