Be You

With peer pressure, be that positive or negative, being yourself can be hard to do. Not only is it hard to be yourself, but at times, it can be incredibly difficult to do the things that YOU want to do for YOURSELF. We have people in our lives, positive people, negative people, and neutral people, but they all have influences in one way or another on us as individuals. Here are five different ways that you can start to become a more independent individual and do the things that YOU want to do.

#1: Make a list.

Make a list of all of the things you are doing right now. Whether that be your living situation, your job or just your daily habits. Cross out the things you do not want to be doing and highlight the ones that you love or that make you happy. Then make another list with your goals, and combine the two. Make that something to work towards. Add to this often as your aspirations are ever changing!

#2: Try new things.

Think of new sports or hobbies that you would love to try or have always wanted to try but have been too scared or have not had time. Make time for yourself and TRY that new thing. You will always live in regret if you do not try new things, and you will always thank yourself for at least trying in the first place. If it works out well, you may have just found your new favorite activity.

#3: Clean the negativity OUT of YOUR life.

Find all of the people or things in your life that make you feel badly. It doesn't matter if the person or thing is directly being negative to you, but if they are making you feel slow or tied down, give yourself space. It is so important that you focus on yourself in order to be the happiest and most productive person that you can possibly be. Do not let anyone take your happiness away.

#4: Try not to care.

Pretend nobody is watching you. Dance if you want, write if you want, do whatever you want. As long as it makes you happy, it does not matter what other people think. If other people judge you, they're not good enough to be a part of your life anyway. Be you, do you, smile!

#5: You Time

Make time for yourself. I know this step can be hard with school, work, family, friends, or whatever it may be that takes up time in your life, BUT you need to make sure that you are leaving time for yourself. That time can be anywhere in the day that works for you. The point is to do something that makes you happy and makes you feel good and to just relax and be doing something for yourself.