Being True To You
Throughout times in our life, we realize there are certain things that make us who we are. These unique things like personality quirks, things we like that others don’t, or maybe things about ourselves we keep hidden from the rest of the world because we think it’s embarrassing. But no matter what these things are, they are true to you, so you should never be afraid to show that part of yourself to the world.
Growing up, I was probably seen as a little odd. I was shy, and it took a lot of courage to talk to people I wasn’t comfortable with. I would have rather stuck my nose in a book instead of talking to the people around me. I tried to follow the social norms around me, but let’s be honest, what even is considered normal anymore? I like Anime and K-Pop, and while I would have been absolutely mortified to have admitted that when I was younger, now I’ve realized that’s just a part of who I am. And it took courage to admit that, to be true to myself and who I wanted to become.
I’ve played softball since I was little. It felt like my entire life revolved around it, but I gradually lost interest in the sport. If I had been stronger and had more self-confidence, I would have told my father a long time ago that I didn’t want to play seriously anymore. Sure, I still liked to play, but I hated the seriousness that clouded the sport I had enjoyed. Making a mistake felt like you would be sent to the death penalty. Instead, I let it go on for years, never really enjoying the sport I had loved and missing out on so much because of playing every weekend practically all year round. Recently, I finally gained the courage to explain to my dad that I no longer wanted to play college ball. I was always too scared to say anything because it felt like I would break my dad’s heart, but in holding myself back, I realized I wasn’t being true to myself.
Throughout times in our life, we realize there are certain things that make us who we are. These unique things like personality quirks, things we like that others don’t, or maybe things about ourselves we keep hidden from the rest of the world because we think it’s embarrassing. But no matter what these things are, they are true to you, so you should never be afraid to show that part of yourself to the world.
Growing up, I was probably seen as a little odd. I was shy, and it took a lot of courage to talk to people I wasn’t comfortable with. I would have rather stuck my nose in a book instead of talking to the people around me. I tried to follow the social norms around me, but let’s be honest, what even is considered normal anymore? I like Anime and K-Pop, and while I would have been absolutely mortified to have admitted that when I was younger, now I’ve realized that’s just a part of who I am. And it took courage to admit that, to be true to myself and who I wanted to become.
I’ve played softball since I was little. It felt like my entire life revolved around it, but I gradually lost interest in the sport. If I had been stronger and had more self-confidence, I would have told my father a long time ago that I didn’t want to play seriously anymore. Sure, I still liked to play, but I hated the seriousness that clouded the sport I had enjoyed. Making a mistake felt like you would be sent to the death penalty. Instead, I let it go on for years, never really enjoying the sport I had loved and missing out on so much because of playing every weekend practically all year round. Recently, I finally gained the courage to explain to my dad that I no longer wanted to play college ball. I was always too scared to say anything because it felt like I would break my dad’s heart, but in holding myself back, I realized I wasn’t being true to myself.
Learning to be true to yourself is a hard lesson, but it is one I believe everyone should go through. Without it, and without my friends and my mom that helped me break the shell I kept around me, I never would have been comfortable in my own skin or strong enough to start being who I want to be. So, this is what I believe: being true to yourself gives you the self-confidence to be who you want to be and doesn’t let anyone hold you back or tell you otherwise. Don’t ever be afraid to be who you are.
I agree that you should never let someone change you, that you should always embrace yourself. It's so important to be true to your self. as Ru Paul said, "if you can't love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?" and I think that speaks for itself. --Teressa Boatman
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