Something I wish someone would have talked to me about when I was younger is changing yourself. It is hard enough not to fall prey to peer pressure and let’s add family pressure to that. In either case, there’s always someone who wants something from you.
Changing to fit in in the short term could seem helpful, but you’re just hurting yourself. You’re taking away from you just being you. I know it seems that acceptance only happens with changing yourself to other people’s expectations or pressures from the world. Is it really acceptance if it isn’t really you? If you’re always having to hide a part of who you are, or all of who you are?
I know as a child, this is especially hard, but true friends will accept you for you, not because you’re a yes-man, or always the rebel no matter what the cause is, but that you genuinely are who you are.
I remember when I was younger, I would attempt to dumb myself down to fit in. That was seen as more appropriate for a woman, and socially, it was hard to talk to a lot of peers. While that was happening, family pressure was demanding straight A’s.
I’m thankful that present-day me can reach back and tell me it’s ok. More importantly, I remind myself to not change who I am for anyone but myself.
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