In high school I was a people pleaser; I valued the opinions of others and their feelings way too much. It got to the point where I forgot about my own opinions and feelings. Don’t get me wrong, being considerate of others is a vital characteristic to have, but too much of a good thing is never good. As the music icon Ed Sheeran said, “I can’t tell you the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” I learned first-hand that trying to please everyone is an unattainable goal; no matter how hard you try, someone is going to be unhappy. So when I came to college as a freshman I knew that I wanted to change a few things about myself, and the first thing would be to stop being a people pleaser. I wanted to be a self-confident, strong, and independent woman who knows what she wants out of life. College was the perfect opportunity for me to reinvent myself. Now, it is super easy to change in college. You’re surrounded by new people, a newfound independence, and the ability to do whatever, whenever you please. These stakes make it the perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself because only you know who you were beforehand. Although reinventing yourself can easily be done, it is important to know what you want to change about yourself, so you can ensure that you do not stray from who you truly are on the inside. One must always remember the morals and their self-interest when they’re revamping their lifestyle. For instance, if you were never a partier and you’re looking to make new friends, do not choose to hangout with people who party every night. Simple decisions that can be easily overlooked are important to remember.
As a sophomore in college, I can say that I’ve already changed and matured a lot since I’ve moved away to school. I’ve made personal changes that have helped me grow and yet, some people who were in my life beforehand did not adapt to my changes. Instead, they decided to treat me differently than before. By sticking to my morals and looking out for myself, I had to make the decision to walk away from people who were no longer enhancing my life. It’s tough to make these decisions, but when you’re reinventing yourself, it is important to walk away from people who do not support you, and to only make positive changes while keeping your morals in mind. Never ever forget where you came from and how it has shaped who you are while you’re in the process of reinventing yourself.
Believe in yourself; you can make positive changes to who you are.