When you hear, "Psh, I don't care," you automatically think someone is being lethargic and irresponsible, but when I say, "I don't care," I honestly mean that I genuinely do not care. But I'm not lethargic or irresponsible, I'm simply not going to spend my precious moments on this earth being caught up in what is acceptable or popular. It's just not worth it. I'd rather spend my time loving life and finding my place in the world than trying to please those around me.
I'm a 19-year-old girl with a place of her own, bills of her own, working full-time, going to school full-time, and in a serious relationship. Sounds exhausting, huh? You're right; it is. It's difficult, but rewarding, just like all the best things in life are. The only way I'm able to balance so many responsibilities is by having learned to do what is best for me and having learned to live life as I see fit. Countless people tell me that this is too much to juggle and how this is more than I should have to worry about right now, but I'm a far cry from letting that stop me. I'm nowhere near giving up.
I so often see young women falling short of living uniquely successful lives because they feel bound by the opinions and words of others. Their potential is being stifled by the need to feel "normal" and "average." This article is a call to action for all of you who feel like you have something to be ashamed of or like you have something to hide from the world. Do what makes you feel like you matter and do what is getting you one step closer to where you want to be. Do what others won't.
Choosing happiness over caring what others think is the most liberating feeling. It allows you to explore your own dreams and it allows you to inspire others through your own actions, all by doing what makes you happy. No one has ever made a name for themselves or changed lives by living in the world's shadow. Be the person who changes someone's ideas about what is acceptable and what is normal. Be that girl.
Let's be real here, my life is not perfect; as I write this, I have an empty pizza box on my stove, an overflowing laundry basket, a not-so-great GPA, and a heck of a headache from a lack of sleep. But, you know what else I have? I have contentment, satisfaction and happiness, knowing that I am living a life of my own and I am unapologetically choosing my own path. I have the strength to look the world in the eye and say, "I do not care what you think." So hey, you have an opinion about my life? Yep, you guessed it; I don't care.
