Why struggle to prove yourself to a critic? They'll never fully acknowledge you for your worth, because they don't know your worth and will always place your worth under their own. It's up to you to know your self-worth. When it's time to show up, stand up, or speak up there you are standing in the gap. When you stand up your enemies will fall. You turn off the noise of doubt and do it anyway. You have proven again and again that you have what it takes. Look no further, you are living-proof.

Ashamed, embarrassed, pretention. We do almost anything to hide from our past. Learning from  the past we so often try to hide is what leads to many of our successes in the present and the future. You don't have to get completely naked with the world about your past, but you must with yourself to reap all the benefits of your experiences. Once you've done so you can share what you learned without completely baring your soul, but be for real. Be confident in who you are by knowing what you've overcome. You are victorious.