Saturday, October 12, 2013

Let's Be Different

ChocolateEffeCT


Hi there! Today, I’m going to be talking about something pretty close to my heart: being fearlessly different.

I went through a lot of phases in my life. Every time I switched to a new school (this is my sixth!), I always seem to have a personality switch. At one point, I wanted so desperately to fit in and begged my mom to buy me the clothes that the “cool” girls were wearing. It was pretty bad. I know that I’m only fourteen and those of you who are older than me are probably thinking, “Ohmygosh, she’s being SO melodramatic. Like, seriously,” but I feel like looking back on that now, it was a really big learning experience. Well, that and the huge pile of Aeropostale graphic tees on my closet floor.

The past few weeks that I’ve roamed my high school halls, observing and taking note of what the other students were doing, I noticed quite a few things. One being that all of them, and by all, I mean about 75%, are all wearing the same. Freaking. Thing. There are about five outfit combinations and they just go in a cycle. It’s as if they’re all drinking from the same, intoxicated water that has completely rid them of their own personal style. Each girl is like a copycat of another and it just bothers me. A lot.

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A question that I’ve started asking myself, say, three or four years ago is “Why be the same when we’re all different?” Sure, there are more eloquent ways to put it, but I’m just being frank. Why the hell would you go and copy piece by piece what someone is wearing instead of letting your own personal style shine through? That’s my question. Honestly, it’s as if these girls’ closets are only full of leggings, yoga pants, crop tops, socks, and Adidas slippers.

Alívio Imediato | via Tumblr


If you are one of those people who are mindlessly following the pack, whether it be in fashion, a group of friends, whatever part of your life it may be in, ask yourself this: are you happy with being that little follower? Don’t you want something more? I know I would.

Back in the day when I was following the pack, I certainly didn’t feel happy, or very confident at all. I was always worrying, “Oh, is this outfit cool enough? Am I wearing the right brands?” I was so wrapped up in stupid stuff like that and it honestly sucked.

The Worm in the apple

Now, I wear what I want to wear. I do what I want to do (unless I’m not allowed, of course). I dream dreams that make my heart flutter with delight, not someone else. Life’s too short for you to try to please everyone out there. In the end, how you felt, and how you remember the situation will be all that matters. So go out there, be confident, be brave, and do what makes you happy. If you’re happy with being a follower and wearing what everyone else is, go ahead, I won’t be stopping you. But if you’re not happy, do something about it.

What do you think about being different? Is it something you strive to be? Did you ever go through a phase when you just followed the pack? Share your story in a comment down below!


Thank you so much for reading!
- J

3 comments:

  1. Oh yes, I freakishly want to be different. Not only different....unique is the word. But hell, it's such a dilemma: being the same and have friends, or being different without friends; it's a problem of identification. Well, I didn't even become the same when I tried to, I simply lost myself and didn't know what to do for quite a time, and that was painful. Now that I'm happily being myself, and the circumstances sure helps a lot, I mean, in a different school now, I can finally change and get rid of the old me.
    You're very brave to stand out and say what you want to say, and be who you want to be, which require tons of determination and courage. So yeah, hail uniqueness!

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    1. I'm glad that we see eye-to-eye on this matter. :) I'm even more glad that you're happy roaming the halls being the REAL Melody now. I'm sorry that you had to go through all that crap, but I think we've all been there and we learn from it. So why don't we go wild together, eh? ;)

      - Juliana

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