Author: Jace
If there’s one thing that everyone’s felt in life, it has to be not being good enough. We all let ourselves down and beat ourselves up; I don’t know one person who doesn’t wish they could change anything about themselves. And yet in our society we’re all told, whether through school, TV, friends and family, social media or any other way, just “be yourself.” What does that even mean, and is it really as easy as it sounds?
For me, this “be yourself” is guiding your actions and decisions based on what you believe. It’s making choices because those are the things you want to do, not because you feel expected to. I think being yourself is so important and yet so confusing.
Like who am I really? What is “me?” How do I even find out?
The reason this idea of “self” can be so confusing is because what others want us to be can be so different from what we really are. I know in my life I’m constantly receiving messages about who I should be. My parents might want me to get good grades, society might want me to be popular or “cool”, my friends might want me to like or participate in a certain thing, the examples go on and on… Personally, it can feel like a game of tug-of-war where I’m the one stretching to try and meet each and every demand. It can feel like I never get the chance to be myself without feeling judgment from either the people around me or even myself.
That’s why I’ll let go… and I think you should do the same. It’s not easy, but trust me when I say it’s possible.
Instead of following the demands of others try new things, make new experiences, get out of your comfort zone and be who YOU want to be!
You will make mistakes and that’s the most important part of growth. Learn from what you do wrong and use what you’ve learned when making new choices.
“Being yourself” is and always will be a challenge, that’s just how it is. It can be confusing, strange, awkward, hard but at the same time kinda fun! And when you’re yourself, you can feel comfortable in your own skin, which is extremely rewarding and relieving.
We all know how it feels to be confused as to who we really are. We’re faced with an abundance of messages coming in from everywhere telling us what we need to do and who we need to be. Whether from our friends, family, society or media, it can be way too many expectations for a person to handle, let alone a teenager already going through so many changes.
I encourage you to just enjoy life, take risks and learn from your mistakes.
Take the time to learn and discover about yourself, like your morals, beliefs, and desires in life. Mold yourself around what you believe and not solely what you’re told or feel expected to do.
I’m not saying you should be afraid to take in ideas or opinions from your friends, family or the media but just that it’s important to take time and reflect. See if something you’re being encouraged to do is really you.
And if you’re having trouble being you, we’re always here to talk by phone, text, chat and email. 🙂
