In the recent years, we have taught ourselves that we have to fit a certain mold to feel secure in ourselves, and that breaks my heart. We tell girls they have to do their hair a certain way, they must be independent, but not too independent.... we tell young men that they must be a leader, muscular, and always be able to provide for themselves.

But somewhere along the way, we forgot what it means to be an individual... to have our own identity. Yes, in some ways society promotes being "yourself" but, as soon as you do, you are told you are wrong for doing so. So to those who think that they can go a little while longer without being themselves, you can't.

Please be yourself. Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in roles and expectations that we do not know what we are or who we are. It is a scary place to be, trust me... I know personally. But the first things you can do are listen to your heart and gut.

If you are hungry, eat. Starving yourself is not healthy, I have done it, and although I was skinny and fit society's mold for a little while, I was extremely far from healthy. If you want to wear your hair a certain way, do it. It does not matter if people think a certain hair color looks good on you. If you want to change your major, do it. If you have absolutely no idea what you wanna do with your life, that is okay too. It is okay to not have everything figured out. Most of us honestly do not. We are just going through the motions living each day by the seat of our pants hoping someone will tell us the right way to do things.

But when and why did we start listening to everyone else instead of ourselves? What makes their opinion any more valuable than our own? You see your gut knows what you want. It will guide you, and lead you in the right direction. It will let you know what is right and what is not. It will let you know what you like and do not like.

We only get one life to live. Yes, it is common to experiment with different things, that is completely normal, but do not lose yourself along the way. You can not go a little while longer without being your true self.

You are a perfectly unique mixture of 23 pairs of chromosomes. There is no DNA out there like yours. There is no life out there like yours either. Do not waste that by trying to be what society tells you to be.

The world needs you, and it needs you to be yourself. You were not given this life to act like someone else. You were given this life to act like you, and to be you. Give the world your gift of life by sprinkling your magic everywhere you go. You will make more of a mark by being you, than by being what society tells you to be.

The world has enough "copies." We need more original editions.