Being true to who you are… Sounds easy enough, but truthfully it can be very hard. Life has a way of constantly building us up then breaking us down, which makes for a pretty fragile self-esteem. It’s up to us to find the strength within and come out on top. As young people we often find ourselves struggling to please others in order to fit in and maintain peace, when what we should be doing is pleasing ourselves. So here are a few reminders…

Don’t ever do something that doesn’t feel right, just because other people told you to. If it feels wrong, then no matter how right it is for someone else, it’s not right for you. If you can feel in your gut that it’s the wrong choice and you do it anyway to please the people around you then you’re only lying to yourself. Have you ever heard the famous quote, “the truth will set you free?” This quote didn’t become so widely known for nothing, the truth really does set you free. Figure out what you need, then accept that we all have our own truth and live by yours. The truth for one person could be that living one certain way is right for them, but that doesn’t mean it’s the truth for you. The sooner you accept that what others want for you may not be what’s right for you, the better off you’ll be.

Just because you feel like you’re doing things differently doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong, so don’t ever bring yourself down because of it. Trust your instincts. You’re on your own distinct path and every step you take will lead you in the direction that you’re meant to go in, so trust that you’re doing just fine. Even if you make a decision that feels like a misstep, you learned from it and that means you gained from it. An action is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.

Understand that your happiness lies in your own hands. If you’re not happy with the way your life is going then it’s up to you to figure out what needs changing and make those changes. Remove the things that don’t belong in your life and add the things that do. If you can feel that something’s missing from your life but can’t figure out what, don’t stress. Accept that it may take some time, but you will discover it. Allow yourself time to think about what you want and who you want to be. We often discover new things about ourselves in new places, so take a trip somewhere by yourself. It could be simply driving a few towns over and going for a walk and grabbing a coffee. Just give yourself the opportunity of getting clarity in a new, unknown space. Going on a trip by yourself, whether it’s to a foreign country or a new coffee shop, can do wonders for your mental health because it allows you the time and space to relax and explore.

Last but certainly not least, always have faith in yourself. Trust that you’re going in the right direction, no matter what that direction may be. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent, so hold onto that and never lose sight of who you are. You deserve all of the happiness in the world, now go grab it.