Letter To My Middle School Self: How To Separate Yourself From the Crowd and Fulfill Your Passions

One thing I can remember so clearly from my middle school years are the trends that I followed. Sugar Lip tank tops, Ugg boots, ripped jeans. I tried my best to follow those trends, whether I liked them or not. I wanted to be like everyone else. To fit in. To not stand out.

I have mentioned in my previous post that I struggled to find true friends during middle school. Part of the reason I followed these trends to a "T" was to show the girls in my grade that I was ‘normal’. Let me stop there. ‘Normal’.

I look back now and realize that I was too concerned with everyone else. I should have focused on me. What I liked to wear. What sports I liked to play. Not what was ‘normal’. Normal is boring!

If you are reading this as a young girl and can identify with these feelings I had, I urge you to stop and evaluate yourself. Reflection is an important tool in personal growth, and I am still learning how to do so. Ask yourself: Am I participating in activities that I truly enjoy? Are my friends supportive of my passions and interests? How can I better fulfill my desires to do X, Y, or Z?

X, Y and Z stand for the things in life that make you YOU! I cannot tell you how important it is in life to do what makes you happy. It sounds like such a plain and simple moral to live by, but there have been times in my life when I did not follow that rule. I found myself to be very unhappy and once I realized I needed to change that, my mood and energy became much more positive.

So whether it is a clothing trend or a social trend, make sure you think twice before you blindly follow the crowd. Do not be scared of being different. Find friends that celebrate their differences, that are proud to be unique!  It is much more fulfilling to be unique and happy, than to follow the crowd and not fulfill your passions and interests. Be you and be proud.