Take a moment and think about what your typical response is when someone you know looks really nice or put together. Think about what you say when someone does really well on an exam. If it could be taken as a backhanded compliment, don’t say it. Do not demean others for making effort.
Trust me when I say that I’m all for embracing yourself as you are. Be confident in who you are and be content with yourself. But in a society filled with “I woke up like this” Instagram captions, sometimes it seems like it’s frowned upon to put in effort. It’s okay to wear sweatpants to class with your hair up. But it’s also okay to wear a blouse and pants. It’s okay to wear makeup and do your hair.
I used to regularly wear athletic shorts and T-shirts to class. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown away from those choices. I’ve received many comments from people that they’re too lazy for it, that they don’t know how I do it or why I bother. I usually don’t know what to say in response. I shouldn’t have to defend why I wear what I do, or why I have on makeup for an early class.
If someone does well on exam, don’t respond with statements like, “I didn’t have time to study,” or “Ugh, I don’t care enough to study.” Don’t reduce someone else’s accomplishments just because you’re feeling insecure. The person may have spent a long time studying to assure that they’d get the grade they wanted.
To me, it seems that there’s such a pressure for everything to be effortless. It’s okay to put in 100 percent and really want something. Don’t chalk up years of hard work and dedication to luck. Celebrate what you’re proud of.
Focus on building others up instead of breaking them down. We are all entitled to live our lives as we choose — negative commentary on someone else’s decisions, so long as they are not harmful toward anyone, are unnecessary. Refraining from making critical comments about others will only make you more content in your personal life.
Make a pact with yourself to unapologetically make your choices just for you. And keep in mind that what’s right for you might not be right for someone else. We’re fortunate enough to be able to determine what we want from life — so let everyone make their own choices.
It’s okay if you woke up like this. And it’s also okay if you didn’t.
Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk