By Justin Johnson
Have you ever looked in the mirror and said “No wonder I’m not dating anyone,” or have you ever thought “If only I could lose those extra 15 pounds…”?
Why do you think that people constantly want to change themselves? Who are they trying to please? Are they trying to change for themselves, or are they trying to gain the approval of someone else?
Do you ever take into consideration the number of people that want to change who they are in order to become someone else, to become anyone else?
Everyday on campus, I see so many people who constantly belittle themselves or complain about the fact that they are too fat or too thin, too tall or too short, or too good for someone or not good enough for someone else.
Why do people constantly want to change their outward appearance? Is it not possible to be completely happy with yourself by not changing or conforming to meet another’s standards?
Why must people subject themselves to the pains of anorexia, bulimia, or other horrors to make someone else happy? If someone really wants to change, let it be because they want to become a more health conscious person, and not because they think they will be asked out if only they would lose the weight or gain it.
”If only I…” is a statement that people should steer away from and start sentences with comments like “When I…” or “I can.” If a person is to change, let it be for themselves, and not for any other reason.
Don’t ever let yourself think that you are not good enough, or that you are alone in this world, because there are so many other people out there just like you. Everyone wants to be noticed, to be cared for, and to be appreciated for the person that they are.
Maybe they don’t wear a sign on their forehead expressing their feelings, but almost everyone has something that they want to change about themselves.
Be happy with who you are and have faith in who and what you are. You are a person, just like myself, just like the guy or girl sitting next to you. We all have a common goal – to find happiness. Obtain your goal by starting with you first, and realize just how great of a person you are. Perhaps you won’t ever get asked out by that hottie in your 11 o’clock class, and maybe you will never be on the cover of “GQ” or “Cosmopolitan,” but who cares? That person doesn’t realize what you really had to offer, and between you and me, they don’t know what they are missing out on.
If you are afraid to ask someone out on a date or talk to the girl or guy you’ve had a crush on since your first semester, don’t be. What’s the worst thing that could happen? They say no? That doesn’t mean that your life as you know it is over; it only means that someone was crazy enough to pass up a good thing when they had the chance. Don’t become discouraged!
Just remember, great things come to those who wait! Believe that, and don’t give up. So, turn your frown upside down and recognize yourself for all that you have to offer by simply being you.
Take some advice from William Shakespeare and live by it. “To thine own self be true.” Let that become your motto.
