How many times have you changed yourself to fit in? How many times have you changed who you were for someone to like you? How many times have you changed and became someone you did not want to be? Changing yourself to fit in or to have someone like you is just silly. You should be you, and here is why.

People tend to want to fit in; that’s natural. People also tend to be followers instead of leaders. When I was younger, my grandmother told me to be a leader, not a follower. Her reason for telling me that was because followers need people to create their life, but leaders make their lives. By changing myself to fit in with the “in crowd”, I was a follower and not a leader. I wanted to create my own life, not follow someone’s dream, but my own.

Everyone likes and dislikes certain things. Everyone does things differently. There is nothing wrong with that, but what society has taught us is that if we don’t fit in with the “in crowd”, we are nothing, losers, or weirdos. That is why so many young people change themselves. Society forces them in a way. It is such a sad thing to watch. People, especially youth, already have a hard time trying to figure out who they are. They don’t want societie's help or influence.

I know not every one is religious, but for those who are, God made you to be a certain way. He created you in a unique and beautiful way. You are the way you are because He wanted you to be that way. Why change what God created? Let me put it this way: would you change The Mona Lisa painting created by Leonardo da Vinci? No, of course not. You shouldn’t change a masterpiece.

For me, it wasn’t always me changing myself; I didn’t always do that. I would say I stayed true to myself throughout high school and most of college. What I didn’t realize was I started to change who I was for adults who would be involved in my life sooner or later. I wouldn’t talk about the things I looked forward to in life like marriage and children, because they didn’t like it. They didn’t like when I talked about the things I was doing; instead, it was all about them. I could give you a list of so many things I changed about myself to impress them so hopefully, they would like me, but you would be reading this for a while. The point is that I changed myself, and just recently realized that no matter how much I changed, they wouldn’t like me. They just didn’t, and I spent so much time worrying about why or what I could do differently the next time I saw them. It took over me in an overwhelming way. It wasn’t healthy to constantly think about what I should do so they liked me. Bottom line here is, you shouldn’t change for anyone, but yourself. If you want to change and be different, then do it because you want to, but not because you think it will make someone like you.

I will always be Selena. I’m currently twenty years old, I love the Lord, I read romance novels, I love eating pasta, I love thinking about when I will get married and what my future kids will look like. I love the color white, and I always get excited when I see a baby or a puppy. I’m the girl that when I love, I love wholeheartedly. The girl that will always stay true to herself, because I wouldn’t want to be anyone else. The girl who will always have a love for the Lord, and for the people around her. That’s me, and I don’t plan on changing anytime soon.