Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be? Everyone should be who they want to be, do what they want to do, and not let other people affect that. The problem is... that is a lot easier said than done. Being myself is something I really enjoy and I am always trying to help others realize the importance of it. How do I become myself, you ask? It's something that takes a little work.
Step 1: Find yourself!
Who are you? That seems like a pretty easy question to answer. I am Jasey Renee Overholser. I am 16 years old, and I am a Junior at Republic High School. Sure, these things give general information about who I am, but you don't know anything about my thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or values. Start off with simple things... What do you like? This can be a wide variety of things. I like clothes, shoes, cheerleading, music, Spider-Man, and that's just the start of it. Another thing you need to be aware of is what you DON'T like. I don't like snakes. At all. You need to make sure you write these things down to remember them!
Step 2: Finding what is keeping you from happiness.
Why do you feel that you aren't happy? This is where you really begin taking action in your transformation to becoming yourself. There are things in your life that you realize shouldn't be there anymore. It could be anything from people, to culture's influence on your decisions, to events that have happened in the past. You have to always keep in mind that these things shouldn't affect your happiness. You need to learn to live with these things, because they aren't going to change until you do.
Step 3: Stop worrying about other people, and worry about YOURSELF.
Everyone cares about other's opinions, even when they say they don't. You always want to know what people say about you, good or bad. But guess what? They don't matter. Their opinions are irrelevant. You need to do what makes YOU happy. This is something that is very hard for teenagers. Everyone wants to "fit in" but I don't think there is such a thing. I think that when you're happy, you will "fit in" where you need to. RELAX.
Step 4: Speak your mind.
Everyone says "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." And sure, that is your best bet. But that doesn't mean you aren't entitled to an opinion. I think that that is a misconception people get from this statement. You shouldn't be afraid to say what you want to say. If you don't like something, say it. If you do like something, say it. Anything you want to say, say it, but be able to support what you say and own up to it. Though there is a difference between being speaking your mind and just being straight up rude. People will value your opinion when you present it in an appropriate manner. That is the key to this step.
Step 5: Don't Compare Yourself to Others
Hey guess what? You are you and there is no other you in the world. Isn't that awesome? So why would you try to make yourself like someone else? That's boring. You should strive to be as unique as possible because there's no one who can be you better than you can. You should be happy that you're the only one on the Earth with your individual traits. Life is a beautiful thing. A time for you to be an individual. Don't die a copy.
Step 6: Surround yourself with Positivity
There is always that one person that just brings you down, am I right? Whether it be their negative attitude, their habits, or maybe even... their lack of individuality! You should always surround yourself with people who you're comfortable around. You will automatically be a happier person when you are comfortable. Why would people want to be around people that they aren't happy around? I've never understood that. If you are comfortable with someone and their actions, then that's great! Keep hanging out with them. But if you're not, please please PLEASE, either let them know, or stop hanging out with them! It's best to eliminate negativity out of your life entirely. This can range from people, to their actions, to things you are uncomfortable doing. This is very important in the steps to becoming yourself.
Step 7: The Final Step... Develop and Express your Individuality
You need to find yourself and then express what you have found. There are a lot of ways you can do this. Wear clothes that express you. Go places you enjoy going. Do things you enjoy doing. Don't be afraid to express yourself. If you don't learn to express yourself basically all of the other steps just went to waste. You have to be confident in yourself. No matter what you're doing, you should always be confident. You're awesome because you are yourself. Be proud that you can be yourself without regrets. It doesn't matter what everyone has to say about you, just ignore them and be happy. Most likely if they have time to talk crap about you because you're happy with yourself, that means they have problems with individuality themselves. I promise you, once you get out of high school you will most likely never see these people again. Don't let them rule your life now. Enjoy the time you can be yourself; while you're young, without many responsibilities, worries, or problems, because you won't be this way forever... How does it feel to be yourself?
~xoxo~
Jasey Overholser
