Sometimes we want things so badly we are willing to go against the things that we believe. I am afraid that I have flirted with this line recently, only to come to the conclusion that it is much better to stay true to who you are. In the end you will be happier being yourself. There are a lot of reasons why I thought about compromising some of the things I believe in. One I truly believed that it was the only way I could gain the one thing I really wanted. I was trying my best to recapture a part of my past that was important to me. A past that meant more to me than anything else and made me a better person. I care so much for this part of my past that I told myself I would do anything to go back to where I was. I would analyze every detail of how or why something didn’t work out. Was it something I did? Was it just a series of unfortunate events? Was it meant to be that we go our separate ways? There I gave it away this is the story of boy meets girl. Boy breaks up with girl and then tries everything and anything to win girl back.
We all make choices for a number of reasons. We all have a desire to fit in. However sometimes the cost to fit in comes at a higher price than we could imagine. Some people go against who they are at the very core just to feel associated. Being different isn’t a bad thing; however, as we live in a world that constantly bombards us to fit in and look a certain way we can become vulnerable. Pressure can come in a number of ways in today’s world. It may be in the form of peer pressure, advertisement, greed, or curiosity.
A quote I absolutely love comes from my 7th grade algebra classroom. The banner reads, ” What is popular isn’t always right, and what is right isn’t always popular.” Sometimes it is hard to swim upstream, especially when it is your friends who are asking you to do something you know isn’t right. Take it from me that as you stand up for who you are they will respect you. Personally I have chosen not to participate in drinking or drugs. As I have stood my ground, my friends have actually taken up for me and my decision not to do these things. I will always be grateful to them for being true friends!
It will not be easy. I would be lying if I said that I haven’t thought about throwing in the towel and conforming and letting my standards drop. However I know personally that I would not be a happier person if I did. Now as I say all of this I want it to be clear that if you choose to do certain things that I may personally disagree with or choose not to do myself, I do my best to accept people for who they are. I do not want someone looking down on me or making fun of me for something I choose not to do, so I personally try and reciprocate that to others. I don’t completely know the reason why someone else does the things they do? I haven’t walked a day in their shoes.
Just be yourself! If you are comfortable doing the things you do then keep it going. Just make sure that your freedom doesn’t encroach on someone else’s. We all have a right to live our lives the way we want, to a certain extent. So don’t be afraid to march to the beat of a different drum. Last thing I will leave you with is to be someones example and not someones excuse.
Nunc Coepi 