All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was na’ve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: that I am nobody but myself.
~Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal”.
Have you ever done something because you want to look like one of your friend? Have you ever feels different because you really don’t recognize yourself acting like someone else?
Being yourself is celebrating you as an individual, learning to express yourself and be happy with who you are. In college everybody has to find himself in this big melting pot of differences, you going to enjoy your student life to have adventures and deceptions. But everything you going to do have to fit on you. To be yourself I advise you some of these steps: First, find you: You can’t be you if you don’t know, understand, and accept yourself first. It should be one of your primary goals to find this out. You can even take personality tests, but be careful to only take what you want from them and not let them define you. You can find them online.
Second, stop thinking about what people think about you: You are who you are! If you change yourself for someone another person or group may not like you and you could go in a vicious circle trying to be people you are not. If you feel persecute go talk in the student development center you can find a counselor. Stop carrying about how people perceive you.
Third, express your individuality: Whether it’s your sense of style, or even your manner of speaking, if your preferred way of doing something stay conventional, then be proud of it…except it’s affect to yourself or others. Be a character, not a type. Be proud of your difference don’t be afraid to hide it. People you know how confident with who they are.
Last of all, Believe in you: If you’re always working to be someone you’re not or to hide yourself, you’ll never be a happy person. Because you will miss a lot of opportunity in this world. Be yourself and show the world you’re proud of the way you are! Nobody knows you better than you and that’s how it should be. Believe in your dreams, in your goals and have hope for your future. Push hard to be the one you want to be.
However, don’t forget that there’s a difference between being you and being rude. You might have your opinions, dreams, and preferences, but so does everyone else. You shouldn’t disrespect people who disagree with you; they have the privilege of being themselves just as you do. Conversely, don’t agree with something you honestly don’t think is right; just don’t try to force you don’t lose yourself when you’re with other friend.
I hope you going to find yourself in this college jungle and being the one you want to be.