Scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you constantly see the term “goals.” There are relationship goals, food goals, and body goals, just to name a few. We’ve all seen it, and we’ve all sat there are imagined how perfect our life would be if we had those things that we see. Our lives would be complete if we were the ones in the picture everyone was drooling over. People retweet, share, and pin those “goals” they want to do or become.

There are constantly young teenagers who think these images are what is real and that this is what they have to be in order to fit in. They think that a relationship is a couple who leads each other by the hand into famous places or a person who sends you long paragraphs about how much they love you. They think that relationship goals are owning a nice house with a fancy car and lots of money.

Real relationship goals should be to love each other unconditionally and support each other, not the gifts they are going to get you or the list of things your potential boyfriend/girlfriend should do. Your relationship goals should be to find the one person you are the happiest with and to be comfortable that you have found your person. Your relationship is different from everyone else’s, and you're going to have different goals and milestones from everyone else. If you are constantly trying to achieve other people’s goals, how can you ever be happy with your soulmate? How can you settle down and have a family if you think that these “goals” are what every relationship is like?

Why is it that we are constantly trying to look like someone else or have someone else’s life? Why can’t we, as individuals, have our own goals and not submit to the lie that our goals are not good enough or that they aren’t worthy of getting likes on Instagram? You don’t need to scroll through an Instagram of “relationship goals” and hope that one day you have a relationship that looks like those pictures. Here’s a quick news flash: your posts, likes, or comments on your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter do not define your life. If they do, you need to take a step back and re-evaluate your “goals.” How can you reach any of your personal goals if you are constantly trying to reach other people’s goals?

If you have to post about your relationship, clothes, make-up, food, or even your day-to-day life just so people want to be like you, how can you love yourself? If you are constantly looking for satisfaction from other people, how can you ever be happy with anything you have? How have we become a culture that aspired to be just like a million other people while all claiming to be individuals?

Why can’t we, as individuals, love ourselves enough to be unique? Why can’t we love ourselves enough to do what makes us happy instead of what makes our followers or friends happy?

If you aren’t going to fight for your individuality or your personal “goals,” who will? While people are out there screaming for individuality, the world is screaming back at them, “only if it’s labeled 'goals' is it okay for you to be an individual.”