From the time we’re young, we are constantly pressured not only to “be ourselves” but to also fit into the cookie-cutter mold that society tells you you have to meet. Not only are society’s standards extremely contradictory and confusing but they can also be very toxic and harmful. In a world that stresses individualism and uniqueness, society is awful quick to judge us when we attempt to be who we are inside. Finding yourself, who you are, and what makes you genuinely and completely happy is one of the most important, but also one of the most difficult, things about life. As a nineteen-year-old girl in college, there are plenty of molds that teachers, parents, friends, peers, neighbors, and community members expect me to fill; I will be the first to say I am not the poster child for “normality,” but at the end of the day, who really is? Everyone has at least one aspect about them that doesn’t quite fit into the world’s idea of normal, and I’ve currently been discovering mine.
This summer was the first time in a long time that I had a whole three and a half months to emerge myself into total self-reflection, setting out on a journey of complete self-discovery. Discovering what you value, your likes and dislikes, what you want to do and who you are is one of the most terrifying and exciting adventures you’ll ever go on with yourself. I’ve spent so many years trying to figure out exactly who I was, I tried to alter and change who I was, and I shoved myself into complete denial, repressing everything I didn’t want to accept and understand. One day a few months ago I woke up with this feeling in my chest that was craving for change. I was craving acceptance and the need to find myself, so that’s what I did. I took a lot of “me” time this summer to connect with myself and my own needs, which for me isn’t easy. I’m the kind of person who will put everyone first and shove myself aside. But this summer wasn’t meant for that; this summer was when I was going to become happy. I was determined to do so.
