From the time I was little I had this idea in my head that I had to be just like everyone else. Looking back it makes me laugh at the idea that I ever even pondered that being a good idea. Jealousy is a terrible, terrible thing yet it's something many people have a hard time seeing past. While most people try to hide the fact that they might have a little green-eyed monster on their shoulder, it's rather noticeable when it comes out. So, why does this seem to happen-- even from a young age?

As kid's we're told that we can be anything that we want to be, and then over time those dreams become torn away by the reality of the situation. My idea on this is that some people become so worked up on the idea that they can't have what they want, or that they'll never reach their goal that they decide to conform to those around them. What is conforming going to do for you? Are there even any benefits to doing it? Yes? No? These messages and thoughts sit heavy on your subconscious and you probably won't even notice it until you hit your breaking point.

So why do people try so hard to fit in? What are the benefits? By the time I reached middle school everyone had seemed to have found their core friend groups and I was always the floater. Why was I not conforming? I never seemed to like the idea of sticking to just one thing-- I liked new, exciting and adventure; something that being stuck in a bubble would never give me. For the longest time, I always thought that there was something severely wrong with me for the fact that I never had a close core group of friends.

So high school rolls around, and it seems less stressful for me than middle school... however, that was when relationships, friendships and life in general started to become serious, people started to become more mature (HA-- not much more mature) and people were starting to expand their horizons. You would think that this would make people more apt to becoming their own person, however it seems as though high school is where the conforming reaches it's all time high.

Again why are people trying so hard to fit the mold? What is so great about fitting this idea of perfect? Yes, it's nice to be the smartest, the prettiest, have the nicest body, but is that really everything? Sure, it may seem like those people have it easiest, and hey, maybe they do, but those things about people aren't what makes them who they are. Everyone has their own ideas on what is perfect and you're never going to meet everyone's standards so, why do people try so hard?

Sure-- it's okay to have common interests with people, to like the same music, the same clothes, the same people-- but you don't have to be exactly the same, and you don't have to shame those who are different than you are. I spent far more time than I'd like to admit being ridiculously judgmental to others based upon the fact that they were different than I was, and looking back it's something I'm not proud to even admit. Looking forward, it's something I hope to never be able to admit to again.

Of all of the opportunities that college has given me I'm blessed for the opportunity it has given me to expand myself as a person and become less of a mold of someone else. I've soared in ways I didn't even believe to be possible-- simply because I stopped caring about trying to impress people. I've learned how to make myself happy and successful while breaking out of a shell that I once was blind to even having.

While it took me almost 18, maybe even 20, years of my life to realize that fitting into a mold is absolutely absurd, I hope this article will stand as a constant reminder that trying to fit into a mold is only going to make you a carbon copy of everyone else. Quite frankly, it's been easier to better myself in the time that I've given myself to grow as an individual rather than romanticizing the idea of trying to live up to the potential of fitting perfectly into a mold that truly wasn't meant for me. If my words do nothing else, I hope they encourage you to expand your horizons on the subject matter.