Ever feel like you don’t fit in? Like you don’t belong? And not just in one specific setting, just everywhere? Yea me too.

Throughout my life I constantly wanted to make sure I fit in and I wanted to belong somewhere. By “fitting in” I just kept to myself. If I just kept to myself and went about my day I wouldn’t have to worry about being like others and maintaining a personality that isn’t me. But there was still this feeling that I didn’t belong , like what I was doing wasn’t me. It took me a long time, until about senior year of high school, to realize that you don’t have to fit in with everyone else. Being yourself is the greatest gift that you can give. If people don’t like you for who you are then they aren’t your friends. Never sell yourself short and be someone you’re not. It gets tiring trying to be someone else. Senior year was when I finally decided to be myself and not just at home with my family; with my friends, at my job, in the classroom everywhere. Once you be yourself you begin to really see people appreciate who are and what you do. Don’t be someone you’re not because then you can’t shine on your own.

Here are some tips to help you stay who you are:

1. Surround yourself with the crowd you want to be apart of, not the "cool" crowd.

2. Surround yourself with people and things that define you and want you for who you are.

3. Do things for yourself, things that make you happy.

4. Never measure your success on someone else's scale.

5. Stay true to yourself, never forget who you are and what you stand for!

Don't try to be something your not. If you try to be like everyone else the world will be a boring place. Be who you are because there is no one like you!