Let's face it; we all want to believe we are special. We want to appear original and different from everybody else in the world. In other words, we all want to have our own special identity. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Is there?
Of course not. But we haven't talked about HOW a person intends to reach that imagined version of himself or herself. Creating an identity for oneself often leads a person in creating a version of themselves with high standards. To achieve this, they become extremely self-conscious with their current self and eventually...begin to hate themselves. Why? Their current selves are not up to par with the identity they wish to be. It's not because people don't try, it's because they try too hard in the wrong way. I'll explain this later. But the case is that the standards are set way too high for it to be achieved. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm all for dreaming big and reaching for the stars. But when you set up an identity which portrays yourself as this flawless, perfect human being, you give yourself a very hard time in fitting into that identity.
But like I said, it's not our fault.
The thing is, being identified as the perfect human being, in our minds, equals to having the perfect life in this world. We envision ourselves surrounded by adoring friends, straddled with bundles of cash, excelling in our careers, and having the time of our lives. Take me for example. I'd very much like to be referred to as an 'intellectual, beautiful, confident young woman' rather than 'blur girl' by my peers. If I wanted to, I can become what I aspired to be. I can read more books to become intellectual, I can take care of my appearance enough to feel beautiful, and I can speak out more often to increase my confidence. All this requires only one thing: Effort. And that is something which is sorely lacking in our generation. We want everything to be served to us on a silver platter. We expect the transition into our better selves will happen over time, with no effort whatsoever being put into becoming a better person. We think we are trying, when we are actually lying to ourselves.
If I could address the entire generation, I would say this:
Wake Up. Don't set yourself up as this loser that needs an upgrade. You are the upgrade. All you need is the effort to ignite the light within you. Let the others think what they want of you. Social status isn't everything. Be the best you can be, and that might just be enough to make YOU feel happy. And your happiness matters. You matter. Hang in there.
Is there?
Of course not. But we haven't talked about HOW a person intends to reach that imagined version of himself or herself. Creating an identity for oneself often leads a person in creating a version of themselves with high standards. To achieve this, they become extremely self-conscious with their current self and eventually...begin to hate themselves. Why? Their current selves are not up to par with the identity they wish to be. It's not because people don't try, it's because they try too hard in the wrong way. I'll explain this later. But the case is that the standards are set way too high for it to be achieved. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm all for dreaming big and reaching for the stars. But when you set up an identity which portrays yourself as this flawless, perfect human being, you give yourself a very hard time in fitting into that identity.
But like I said, it's not our fault.
The thing is, being identified as the perfect human being, in our minds, equals to having the perfect life in this world. We envision ourselves surrounded by adoring friends, straddled with bundles of cash, excelling in our careers, and having the time of our lives. Take me for example. I'd very much like to be referred to as an 'intellectual, beautiful, confident young woman' rather than 'blur girl' by my peers. If I wanted to, I can become what I aspired to be. I can read more books to become intellectual, I can take care of my appearance enough to feel beautiful, and I can speak out more often to increase my confidence. All this requires only one thing: Effort. And that is something which is sorely lacking in our generation. We want everything to be served to us on a silver platter. We expect the transition into our better selves will happen over time, with no effort whatsoever being put into becoming a better person. We think we are trying, when we are actually lying to ourselves.
If I could address the entire generation, I would say this:
Wake Up. Don't set yourself up as this loser that needs an upgrade. You are the upgrade. All you need is the effort to ignite the light within you. Let the others think what they want of you. Social status isn't everything. Be the best you can be, and that might just be enough to make YOU feel happy. And your happiness matters. You matter. Hang in there.
