Leos are defined as creative. And passionate. And generous. And humorous.

But they’re also defined as arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, inflexible.

The zodiac sign Leo—known as people born from July 23 to August 22—belongs to the element of fire. Leo’s colors, which aren’t surprising, are gold, yellow, and orange; subsequently, the element and colors correlate. 

I, with my birthday being on August 18, fall right in the middle of the Leo category. 

Although my favorite colors are more so on the blue and purple sides of the spectrum, I consider myself to represent the gold, yellow, and orange described with my feisty yet vulnerable personality. To exemplify my “orange,” I identify myself as dramatic, dominant, and confident. When I think of the color yellow, I think of my happiness, positivity, and euphoria, and when gold comes to mind, it brings the thought of luxury, love, and wisdom. When you mix orange, yellow, and gold, it makes a clementine-like color with hints of dirty brown. But in my mind, this three-color-mixture makes me.

The contrast of the strengths and weaknesses of Leos all come together to create an image of myself. 

Barack Obama and Demi Lovato are Leos as well. I’ve been trying to identify what the two share in common, and I finally came to a consensus: they’re both leaders. After doing some further research surrounding the traits of Leos, I realized I was spot on; Leos are known to be natural-born leaders. 

I wouldn’t consider myself as a natural-born leader, but according to outsiders, to my surprise, I actually am viewed as one. 

I am one of three kids—the oldest, actually. All my life, my parents have taught me how to be an influence on my brother and sister. From there, I’ve gained leadership qualities on not only how to be a big sister but also how to be idolized. My dance coaches have also continuously taught me how to lead triumphantly and how to resemble leadership qualities through my sport. Whether it’s distributing encouragement or consistently giving it my all, my elders have taught me everything I know on how to act as a natural-born leader.

Over time, I’ve learned to embrace my fiery personality traits. Some were incorporated into my personality from the day I learned to talk, and some were given to me from various experiences where I learned how to be me.

I believe in the validity of astrology signs simply because of my accurate depiction of being a Leo. The traits of a Leo are identical to my own, whether they were inherited or acquired. Leos are like a crackling fire; they’re known to be warm and passionate but also aren’t afraid to show a little spark from within them. 

Astrology is an important aspect of life to pay attention to. It’s interesting to learn and discuss specific zodiac signs and how they correlate. Digging deeper into my personality and where it has stemmed from has encouraged me to grow and embrace myself to the point where I am proud to say this:

I am a Leo.