Just Be YOU!

How many times have you ever made the comment that you wish you were more like someone else? Wish you had legs like Carrie Underwood? Wish you had the body of a Victoria's Secret Angel? While you're wishing about all you don't have, do you ever take the time to be thankful for what you do have? 

Every morning we wake up and look in the mirror, pointing out the things we wish we could change. We wish our teeth were whiter, our skin was more clear, we had a better tan, and that we could lose weight and fit back into our favorite dress. What we don't look in the mirror and realize is that we are blessed to see another day, and that we are the children of God - beautifully and wonderfully made.

At some point in our lives, we all find ourselves guilty of wishing there was something we could change. If we all wanted to change into the "perfect" person, we would look the same. Just as Marilyn Monroe stated, "Imperfection is Beauty." What would the world be like if every single person had the same skin tone, hair color, body size, clothing style? Boring.. Absolutely boring!

If you have curly hair, don't spend hours trying to straighten it each day. Put some mousse in it, and think about the girls with straight hair who desire to have your curls. If you're embarrassed to be a girl with a size 11 foot, think about how cool it is to be able to custom order your own shoes. If you're fair complected (like myself), think about how well you'll age (hopefully) and how likely it is you won't get as many wrinkles as soon as others.

Not only have I struggled with wishing I could change things about my outward appearance, but I have also, at times, struggled with who I am on the inside. I personally believe that one of the biggest changes in life is being sent off to college. If you're like me, went to a small school, and grew up hearing that "nothing good happens after midnight," as soon as you're off to college and on your own, you have to define who you are and who you want to be known as right away.

When I first came to college in 2011, I met all different kinds of people. I met friends who invited me to church on Wednesdays and Sundays, friends who wanted to go to the library every night, friends who thought it was cool to be at the fraternity houses every single night, and friends who forced me into making my first trip to the bar (definitely not my favorite place to be)!

While I experienced each of the following listed above, it was my decision to decide who I was going to be, just as it's YOUR decision to choose your own path and to "JUST BE YOU!" 

I learned very quickly that socializing during week nights was not for me, and that I would rather be in bed by 10 and get my 8+ hours of sleep each night. I learned that as fun as my friends made it sound like the weekend parties were going to be (and I did attend a few), I'd rather make the drive home to spend time with my family (as I still do at least once a week). While it was hard to make these decisions at first, and I was faced with peer pressure at times, I could not be more thankful for putting hope in God and making the decisions that were right for me.

Had I not made the decisions that were right for me, would I be where I am today? Would I be graduating on time with over a 3.8 GPA? Would I have been as involved as I was in activities that will benefit my future and are likely to provide job opportunities? Would I be as close to my family if I wouldn't have visited so much while in college, or would I have grown farther apart from them?

While it's easy to "follow the crowd" and want to fit in with the "cool kids," it's YOUR ultimate decision to do what's right for you. I vividly remember learning about peer pressure in middle school, and thinking that it was surely something I would never have to deal with. It breaks my heart to know that at a time when I was learning about peer pressure, most kids are now experiencing peer pressure.

When you feel as if you're being pressured to do something that you're not comfortable doing, or if you know something does not fit in with your morals and values, then don't be afraid to just be YOU!

The next time you're asked to go out with friends on a Tuesday night, when you know you should stay in and study for a test the next week in a class you've been struggling in, make the decision that will benefit you, no matter what others think.

We live in a world where we're too worried about what others think, and how they will react if we don't do things the way they think should be done.

Just as Dr. Seuss once said,

"Today you are YOU, that is truer than true.

There is no one alive who is youer than YOU!"