You are you.

That in itself is an indisputable statement. Philosophically speaking, there is no way that you could not be you.

So why do some people try to be other people?

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
- Oscar Wilde

Ke$ha said it. Natasha Bedingfield said it. Colbie Caillat said it. Jessie J said it. Countless other artists have said it. Why not embrace something that you really couldn't change even if you wanted to?

In our first couple years of being socially aware, generally around middle school, many people find that rather than figure themselves out, the easiest way to function in the world is to become - or at least try to become - someone else. We conform to what others are doing, thinking, saying, in the hopes of being accepted, and the people that don't conform end up getting called out for being different.

I was one of the kids that always felt odd for being different. I was lucky enough to have not gotten called out much, but I learned pretty quickly that being different wasn't easy. Originally, the reason I wasn't like everyone else was because I just couldn't figure out how to be like them, which now I think is pretty funny. After a while, I realized that I couldn't be like everyone else, no matter how hard I tried, so I just did my own thing.

I am who I am because I chose to be this way.

I know what kind of person I am. That's not to say I'm not mistaken, or don't know how other people see me, because that is certainly something that can never be fully known; but I know what kind of person I try to be and I know what kind of person I try to show other people I am.

I chose to be the way I am. I still actively choose on a daily basis to not be afraid to tell someone how I feel or what I think, to try and make other people's days better, and to be as confident as I am. I'm not sorry for being the way I am, so I won't apologize. I have no regrets about how I've lived my life by making sure that the person you see when you first meet me is the same person you see three months later when you're comfortable with me.

Be yourself. Inspire others.

What a wonderful thing it is to know that you've made a difference in the life of others. No matter how small, how minute the impact you made, you know you've left a mark and will be remembered at some point in their life. To be that person, the person who inspired someone to be themselves and do great things and to not be scared of being who they are, is to make a difference in the world. You may not feel the wind change or the earth shake from doing something like that, but you've certainly caused ripples in the pond that is life. Don't apologize for existing.

To be that person for someone else is a wonderful thing.

Because when the person you inspired, the person you helped, the person who now either looks up to you or appreciates you for being a part of their life lets you know that you made a difference in your life, you most certainly feel better about yourself. The world just feels right.

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
- Paulo Coelho