When you think about it, and I mean really think about it, humans function in the same way a computer does — we are an infinite data bank : seven billion beautifully created minds, working together to provide a bounty of knowledge on various subjects. Each of us have our perfect place in this world, a place where we can settle down and make an impact. Alas, this concept is so distant in a world dominated by the media. Our heads become filled with images of people who live in a perfectly photo-shopped world, images that prioritize outer beauty instead of inner.

The culture we live in became obsessed with the idea that we all have to be a flawless human toothpick. Our unique place in society has almost disappeared, leaving behind a skeleton of what used to be admirable. Women and men everywhere are under the spell that there is a formula to weight, height, eyebrow structure, lip size, hair volume, and many more attributes that combine to create the perfect human being. Society today is desperately clamoring its way to achieve this formula. Plastic surgeries, eating disorders, and toxic chemical additives have become the top priority in the lives of so many young people. According to the standards of current times, if you're not at the gym every day, then you're doing it wrong. If a person is eating a cheeseburger, fries or even (God forbid) pizza, then that person has a serious issue. Why are we so obsessed with what is on the outside? Why are we trying so hard to sculpt our bodies when we should be focusing on molding our minds?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I want us to be healthy. I want us to feel good on the inside, we need that; but a college student shouldn’t be looking in the mirror hating what they see on the outside despite what they feel inwardly. God made every single one of us exactly the way He wanted to. None of us are supposed to look the exact same, have the exact same weight, or like the exact same music. Some of us are born to be rock stars, others to stay at home and raise our children.

Human intuition craves acceptance. It breaks my heart that so many feel like they can’t be loved for their personalities. Being at Baylor has brought the concept of our insatiable need to feel accepted to my attention. It is uncomfortable to look out at a swarm of girls wearing the exact same thing: an extra large t-shirt and Nike shorts (and in the cold winter months an extra large t-shirt and leggings). I would agree with any girl that these are super comfy. The scary part about this trend, and all trends for that matter, is that I was actually ridiculed for buying a shirt that was a size small. It really hurt me when the girl I showed it to sneered, “Why would you buy that? You’re not actually going to wear it, are you?” It’s amazing how impacting words can be. Right after hearing that, I returned the shirt and bought a large, just so I wouldn’t be made fun of.

My hope with all of this pessimistic jabber is for college students to recognize just how beautiful they are. Each and every person matters. If we were all clones of one another, nothing would get done. Our world would not shine as bright, our color would be dulled by the looming weight of similarity. I have hope. I see great potential in everyone. There is a light that cannot and will not be stamped out. We will love ourselves for who we are, and not what material standards make us out to be. We will dare to be smart. We will dare to lead. We will dare to share our true, inner beauty with the world. Never think less of yourself, Baylor University. You are the future; let’s make that future full of color.