“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” –
A major key that leads to true happiness is being who you are. Unfortunately, this generation has created a boundary that told you to not get out. Societies have myriad of stereotypes and concepts that are being used to judge you as a person. Sometimes, it is almost impossible to be yourself due to the pressure that makes it seems like you must fit into the expectation of modern society. If you are a woman or man, society has created those categories they expect you to be in, rather than giving more freedom to be yourself. It is as if you’re being locked in a cage where you don’t have the ability to go to catch or show uniqueness inside your soul. Rather than thinking about other people criticism or opinion, use your time to be in your best true version. These are ways to just be yourself while you can feel better and be more confident.
The acceptance of being you
During your childhood, it is very easy to be yourself because no one really puts the pressure on kids to be in a certain way. In the process of growing, you will be less good at being yourself due to the influence that society sets for you. It is okay if you don’t feel comfortable being who you are because of the way other people think about it. You don’t need to make yourself bigger or better while making others feel smaller than you. You’re beautiful, precious, lovely in a way not everyone can see. If you are a female and you love to have short hair, it is your right to do something you feel beautiful in. If you are male and love to put on makeup, remember everyone wouldn’t say it is beautiful but you should be proud of being brave. Being who you are with the criticism and the thought of other people might not be the situation you wish to be. Experiencing your uniqueness out of the cage of society is a gift the universe gives you to be different from others. Those criticisms can be unpleasant but being true to yourself can be the most beautiful life experience of all time.
“Acceptance is being able to feel beautiful in whatever you feel comfortable in. ” – Barbie Ferreira
Raise awareness
After getting all of the criticism, you can know the feeling of being judged by other people from society. You understand all of those feelings for yourself and others. With all of the criticism involving in your life, you should be brave to help raise awareness for yourself, others and society. EndVowNow quoted, “Awareness-raising can be an important part of developing community support for changes in the informal justice sector”. By raising awareness, our people in this generation would have more freedom of being who they wish to be rather than a person that society sets for us.There are many campaigns or international days such as human rights, women’s right, pride day and more. Those messages such as campaign, events, conference as a community wouldn’t spread in one day. Change need times and participation from every human being. With effort and participation to raise awareness, our generation will be a place of freedom where we can be ourselves “regardless of our race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”. (United Nations)
“Awareness in our society has flipped all types of injustice on its head.” – Serj Tankian
Motivate yourself
Caroline McHugh on The Art of Being Yourself Ted Talk quoted “What do you expect from life? And what life expects from you? ”. These two critical questions could be used to motivate yourself for not being what the society told you to be. It is the priority to think about what are the things you expect and what life expects from you. You can have a dream of becoming a dancer while your society says you should be a doctor. Don’t be afraid to stand up to follow the path you expect because life expects us to learn new things and never regret being who you are. Furthermore, you can also set a path for things you love to do without the need to get permission from our society stereotypes and criticism. People always make a mistake and from time to time you will learn from it.
In Conclusion, never play a role as someone who society expected to be, show your uniqueness given from nature. Your talents, feeling, uniqueness are a part of you and it will always remain simply just by being yourself. Eventually, you’ll never be perfect to fit in everyone perspective but always remember that you live a life to please yourself not the society’s expectations.
These are the links that are inspiring for being yourself:
- The art of being yourself | Caroline McHugh | TEDxMiltonKeynesWomen
- How to Be Yourself in Five Simple Steps
- Live Your Life for You, Not to Please Expectations