Don't explain.
The more you try to explain, the more misunderstand results. You are inexplicable and cannot be explained by yourself. The is extraordinarily hard to accept, because others' judgments are inaccurate and incomplete. You need to be brave enough to face the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in others' judgments, even when those judgments have the potential to control your opportunities.
Don't create a caricature of yourself in your desire to gain validation and security, because you can't have those. Praise from others is temporary and does not indicate acceptance of your purposes or your struggles. You need other people in countless ways, but they can't give you validation or security.
Forget the people whose position in relation to you causes you to look to them for validation. Forget security, because it doesn't exist.
And forget yourself.
I'm not sure of very much, but I'm sure that God loves each of us. I think that we should all help each other to be our best and to bring our best into the world.
It's a gift.