19 People Talk About The Personal Insecurities That Took Them Years To Overcome

Now these are some personal growth #goals.

The end of the year isn't just the perfect time to dream about who we'll be in another 365 days — it's also an important moment to take stock of how much we've grown already.

In celebration of all things ~personal growth~, BuzzFeed Brazil asked readers on Facebook about the biggest personal insecurities that they've overcome — or are working on overcoming — in the past years. Here are some of their most inspiring responses:

1. "I HATED being the center of attention."

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"I was always at least 4 inches taller than other girls my age, and I HATED being the center of attention wherever I went, especially since I was overweight. I hated high heels. I avoided anything that drew attention. Today I love it. I really love it. I go to parties wearing heels, holding my head high, and wearing red lipstick. I'm proud to be the way I am. We should all know that this body is the only one we've got. There's not going to be another. Whoever is going to love us will love the whole package — but you have to be the first one to do so! It's not easy, but believe me, coming from a person who refrained from going out because of body shame: it's possible!" — Ingrid Lira

2. "I wouldn't wear short skirts or shorts for years, because of my varicose veins."

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"My skin is REALLY white, and in my teens, I wouldn't wear short skirts or shorts because I've always had varicose veins, and very visible veins in general that stood out. I overcame a great deal of that once I realized almost no one noticed my veins anyway, but I have to admit that I still don't really wear short skirts or shorts. I think I've grown used to not wearing them because of the shame I felt." — Natalia Weber

3. "I was really ashamed of my body until I realized it's the only one I've got."

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"I'm obese, and I was really ashamed of my body until I realized it's the only one I've got. I need to live the best way I can, so today, I love every love handle, stretch mark and cellulite — and my health is doing great, by the way! All my exam results are excellent! I no longer stop living or loving myself because some people think I'm ugly. There's always going to be someone who thinks that, regardless of your size. So be happy, just the way you are!" — Carla Juliane

4. "I hated my thick legs, and I spent my whole life not wearing dresses."

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"I hated my thick legs, and I spent my whole life not wearing dresses. Then, when I was 28, I was wearing a dress at a bar and a guy told me, 'Wow, great legs!' Not that I needed that kind of validation, but that comment made me see that what I worried so much about was all in my head. And it made me think about how many opportunities I had to wear gorgeous outfits but didn't, because it showed a part of my body I didn't like. I wanted to go back in time and find my teenage self, crying in a fitting room, hug her and say: 'Everything's going to be okay. Trust me.'" — Elaine Andrade Barbosa

5. "I was the only black girl in my friend group ... I felt like I never fit the beauty standard."

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"I was the only black girl in my friend group ... plus, I've always been a bit bigger than my friends, both in size and in weight. My teen years were hell. I was ashamed of going to the beach because I thought I was too fat, enormous, inadequate. Since I lived in a predominantly white area, I felt like I never fit the beauty standard, and boys didn't even look at me.

I watched all my friends get into relationships, have crushes, and flirt at school parties. And I was just the fun friend who gave advice. It wasn't easy. I remember not liking sleepovers at my friends' houses, because they would wake up looking ready, with their long, straight, beautiful hair, and I'd look at myself in the mirror and not know where to start. I just felt like crying.

When I was 12, I had bulimia. I wasn't living in the best environment for my self-esteem, but that experience helped me realize I could no longer accept being mistreated by anybody. Today I accept myself much more, especially because I started attending a university where I could be around other wonderful, inspiring black girls." — Luísa Góes

6. "I was scared to death of putting my hair up because I have big "'flap' ears."

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"I was really scared of putting my hair up because I have big 'flap' ears, you know? But one day I decided to do it, and I saw that no one was looking at me funny, and I was very happy. Sounds silly, doesn't it? But my whole life I was bullied for it, and when I finally broke free, I realized how much time I had lost." — Aline Müller

7. "For the first three years of my sex life, I had sex without taking off my bra."

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"I have a skin condition in my breasts that makes them very saggy. For the first three years of my sex life, I had sex without taking off my bra. Last year, with the help of someone who made me feel safe enough to do it, I was able to take off the bra. Without a doubt, I'm much happier and feel more beautiful and sexier than ever." — Mariana Martins

8. "I was ashamed of my really skinny legs."

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"It took me a lifetime to start wearing shorts, skirts, dresses and leggings, because I was ashamed of my really skinny legs. When I finally decided that I could let my legs out, it was liberating! It's great not to feel hot!" — Analu Tortella

9. "I'd go to school with two pairs of pants on, and that was terribly hot."

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"I was incredibly insecure about my body, because I was too thin and the kids at school would make fun of me. I'd go to school with two pairs of pants on, and that was terribly hot. I started going out wearing shorts only once I turned 18, and after that I realized how stupid I was for listening to those idiots." — Neessa Oliveira

10. "It would be morbidly hot, and I'd still wear long-sleeved shirts to school."

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"I used to worry the flesh around my armpits, so I'd avoid wearing sleeveless shirts. Today I don't even care; I'll even wear them without shaving. I also used to have a lot of problems with my arms, because of the dark body hair. It would be morbidly hot, and I'd still wear long-sleeved shirts to school. I still have a few insecurities about my body, but I realized I was being silly with most of them and don't care about that anymore." — Camila Alves

11. "I'd send nude pics to my boyfriend and apologize for not having the perfect body."

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"Back then I'd only wear shirts and pants, because I had a lot of body hair. I wished I could wear cropped tops, but I was embarrassed ... I'd send nude pics to my boyfriend and apologize for not having the perfect body. I was really, really paranoid about my body, but one day I just said fuck it: 'I was born like this and grew up like this. I can't do anything about it, unless I want to work an insane amount and spend all of my money to get laser hair removal on my WHOLE body.' Still, some days are tough for me." — Flávia Theodoro Albuquerque

12. "There was so much pressure, especially from my mother, that if I was too lenient raising my son, he'd grow up a failure."

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"I became a mom when I was 17, single and inexperienced. Everybody judged me, and there was so much pressure, especially from my mother, that if I was too lenient raising my son, he'd grow up a failure.

As a result, ever since he was a baby, I was incredibly strict. I rarely praised him and got on his case a lot. Last year, my 6-year-old son asked me for a book for his birthday. His teachers told me how wonderful he was and how everybody at school loved him. And I realized he was doing everything he could to make me proud of him.

That helped me come to my senses and get back to being myself! Next week, we're going to see his first theater play, and he's already on his third book. And I'm finally enjoying the experience of motherhood! – Thamiris Ferreira

13. "I finally started feeling like my hair was beautiful."

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"I hated my hair: it's curly, frizzy, and very big. For years, I dreamed about straightening it. I got a salon treatment in 2008 and wore my hair straight for eight years. But since last year, thanks to the big movement toward natural hair, I finally started feeling like my hair was beautiful. Today, I'm as happy as I could be with my big hair; I can't get enough of it! It turned out that what I had hated most was not knowing how to take care of it or style it." — Sol Soraya

14. "I had allergy spots on my legs, so I'd only wear pants, even when it was hot."

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"I've always had stretch marks on my arms and hips. I was so embarrassed that I wouldn't wear tank tops. My legs were also a big problem for me — I have a lot of spots due to allergies. So I'd only wear pants, until I got tired of feeling hot all the time. One day, when I was at the mall with my son, I was wearing shorts during a fucking heat wave. A saleswoman called me over and asked if I felt ashamed to wear them. It turned out that she had the same insecurities about wearing shorts that I used to. I told her: 'I'm ashamed of feeling so hot, that's what!' I used to always stress about buying and wearing things people thought were ugly. But today, I just say fuck it. If I like it, I'll wear it." — Marcella Bagano Amador

15. "Everybody said I had horrible lips, so to make them 'smaller,' I'd roll my lower lip in and bite it."

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"I wouldn't wear bright-colored lipstick because I have a big mouth, and everybody said I had horrible lips. To try to make them 'smaller', I'd roll my lower lip in and bite it. Today I LOVE my mouth. I go out with red, purple, brown, or pink lipstick on, and I don't give a damn!" — Caroline Dias

16. "I felt very insecure talking in public ... because I was often told, even as a joke, that I was stupid."

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"I still feel insecure talking in public, asking about something that i don't understand, defending an idea, or even explaining a joke to someone. It comes from hearing all the time, even as a joke: 'You don't know a thing', 'You're stupid, huh', 'I can't believe you don't know that, it's so easy.' After thinking about this for a long time, I came to the conclusion that I'm fucking awesome, and I do know a lot, and I can ask any question I want. I ended up graduating at the top of my class in college, rubbing that honor certificate in the faces of some of my relatives was priceless!" — Thaís Miranda

17. "In the summer, I'd only wear t-shirts and pants at all times."

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"I've always been fat and, when I was a kid, I had lots of allergies. My body has changed a lot, so I have a LOT of thick stretch marks. In the summer, I'd only wear T-shirts and pants at all times. Plus, my legs are very thick. Some of my insecurities about my body are still there, but one of them disappeared by chance: I got a tattoo on my thigh, and since it hurt like hell, I had to show it off! Now, I wear a lot of shorts, and it's helped me stop worrying so much. — Layssa Freitas

18. "I've always loved cropped tops, but I never wore them because I didn't have 'the body for it.'"

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"I've always loved cropped tops, but I never wore them because I didn't have 'the body for it.' But then I started pole dancing and needed to wear them out of necessity. Now I don't take them off, because having a 'crop top body' just means having a body, am I right?" — Mariana Bazilio

19. "I spent years not wearing tank tops because my armpits were burned while being waxed."

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"In 2008, I got my armpits waxed, and the woman who did it burned them, which left dark stains on my skin. I spent years not wearing tank tops out of embarrassment, because my armpits looked 'dirty'. I tried makeup, talcum powder — anything to make them look normal, but nothing worked. I even tried whitening deodorants and strong acids that made my skin itch and sting. Today, thank God, I just say fuck it and wear tank tops whenever I want. But it took me years of embarrassment before I could." — Samantha Verhaeg

This post was translated from Portuguese. The responses have been edited for clarity and/or length.