Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up

by Naya Rivera

Your life doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be proud. In fact, I think it’s the opposite: the more imperfect your life has been, the prouder you should be, because it means you’ve come that much further, and also probably had a lot more fun along the way.

As frustrating as it is not to get what you want right away, success is a lot sweeter when it’s a slow build.

In my own sick and twisted way, I’d look at those girls who were sort of dieting and feel superior. Because you want to know how to really lose weight? Just don’t eat anything. Ever.

Even though I’d changed schools and my love life was looking up, I still wasn’t eating.

It turns out that routinely denying your body nutrients and being hungry 24-7 is a great way to bring on a mental freak-out!

“Naya, you’ve got to eat,” he’d say. “I don’t know what else to tell you. You’re killing yourself.” I’d nod, with tears streaming down my face, but then I’d be right back up on my feet after the IV, and the next day I’d throw my lunch in the trash once again.

When you feel like you can’t stand up for yourself, that’s pretty fucked up.

You can’t be a good friend to someone else unless you’re a good friend to yourself first,

A friendship is just as much give-and-take and compromise as a romantic relationship, so you will get out what you put in.

When two people with strong personalities are friends, or in any kind of relationship, they’re eventually going to clash. And maybe they’ll get over it; maybe they won’t. Lea and I didn’t.

Lea and I definitely weren’t the best of friends, and I doubt we’ll ever sit on her couch and eat kale together again, but the rumors of our “feud” were blown out of proportion.