We’ve reached a point in time when people have been given a little more grace in being different. Times were not always this forgiving with people who stood out. People who suffered from mental illnesses were deemed “crazy” and sent to asylums, people of the LGBT community were discriminated against, and people of color were treated as inferior to white people. Now, in 2016, we have come to a period of change in our lives. We live in an environment where being atypical is slightly more acceptable. The world still has a lot of work to do, but I’m glad that I can be me, and be proud of who I am.
I used to be the girl that worried about fitting in, being "in" with the cool kids, what people thought of me, who would judge me, and desperately hoped that people would like me. I was afraid of messing up and becoming the “weird” girl, so I played the game of pretend and acted how society expected me to act. Then everything changed.
It started about six months ago. I struggle with severe anxiety and I got extremely ill. I was having at least one panic attack a day, and some days I would just feel sick all day long. I was suffering from depression and self-hate too. Every day I woke up and wondered if I would make it through that day, and honestly I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I eventually got a lot of help, and I am on the mend.
Ever since that awful time of my life, I have viewed life itself differently. We get one life, and it's silly to waste it worrying about fitting in and what others think about us.
Now, I don’t worry about fitting in or what people think of me. Instead, I act exactly how I want to act and am not afraid to be myself. I’m no longer concerned about losing or making friends. The way I see it is if they love me, they’ll be my friend no matter what, and if they don’t like me the way I am, I don’t want them as my friend anyways. I’ve actually started to embrace who I am so much that I’ve decided to take on my role as the “weird” friend. I love making my friends laugh and helping them feel comfortable in awkward situations.
Being “weird” isn’t uncool because being different makes us all unique. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks. Now, go be weird!