I wear my heart on my sleeve. Whether someone says something I don’t like or I get let down, I have a hard time pushing it aside. Some might find it crazy for me to be this way because society tells us to hold things in and not let others know how we feel. They tell us to play it off and act like everything is okay, but is it really?

What have societal norms done for you? Think about it. Well, I can tell you. They have told us who we have to be, how we have to dress and what we have to do in order to fit in. I am different. I am not your average girl. I became “natural” in 2012 when it was pretty much unheard of. I am a Christian in a highly corrupted world. I don’t go out and party, but I would much rather go laser tagging or ride on a roller coaster. I don’t wear makeup, not because I think it is bad but because I just don’t want to. It’s as simple as that. I am me. Are you you? No really…Are you?

When you look in the mirror, do you see yourself or the imitation of someone else?

Being true to who you are and honest about what makes you tick, what you like to do, who you want to be and the people you want to surround yourself with is important. Just because you might not be as sure of yourself as others isn’t the point. It’s about making the conscious effort to get to know yourself. It’s about genuinely spending time with you and only you. It’s the only way that you will know what you do and do not want. So many people end up doing things that they don’t like for the simple fact that they don’t know their own self. Practice getting to know yourself and the person you want to become, and stop letting society tell you otherwise.

-Jas