In a world full of “plastics,” pre-imposed ideals, idiosyncrasies, superficiality, and judgmental people, it’s hard to not get lost in the world of follow-the-leader just to be or feel accepted. I think it all boils down to confidence. Love who you are and you will accept the person you were born to be. Who knows? You might just find that you make a difference by inspiring another with your confidence. Be that person who inspires another to embrace himself or herself by exuding the confidence of your true self.
More than once have I heard the argument about how certain mediums condition the mind’s eye on how to be. You’ve seen it depicted on magazine covers, you’ve heard it on the news, on the internet and , and in your social groups. The pressure is on:
But why change yourself to make someone else happy? Say you have red hair and get teased. Do you dye it? If you have a gap between your teeth, do you get braces? Or, if you have a nose that’s not what you want, do you opt for plastic surgery just because you are tired of having to look at it? These characteristics are what set you apart from the rest. They are what make you you. There are a million little copycats that plague the world with their uniformed style. They’ve conformed to what they think they should be or look like when in essence they are lacking that spice that makes them their own.
Our personal footprint in life is what makes us each a unique individual in this great mass of society. When it’s my time to go, I would definitely want to be remembered for my quirkiness and lively spirit. Oh, and not to mention my accentuated chin when I smile, “Misti” stories, and sometimes-blatant OCD. Of course, I can remember when I was a teenager, and I wanted to be just like “Sally.” At that time, I never realized Sally was cool because she was her own slice of life, her own soul that she embraced. It takes us a little while, especially when we’re teenagers, to learn that we don’t need to be like everyone else to find acceptance. Once we utilize what we are given, we will soon begin to see that we definitely possess something wonderful within: ourselves.
If this confidence registers early enough for us to grasp, there would not be so many years lost of trying to figure “it” out…because we have truly been that someone wonderful to write home about since day one.
Article originally posted on the VM Blog.
Misti Garritano is freelance writing while she is on vacation.