Imagine living in a world where nobody judges you. Now picture yourself standing there in your rainbow striped shirt, ripped jeans and dyed hair that might appear crazy to some people. You’re as confident as can be because that’s how you best express yourself and nobody is looking at you funny because they are more concerned with what is going on in their own life.

Although, we do live alongside insecurities and social media having a say in how we’re supposed to think, act, dress and present ourselves, this vision can be possible. Nothing is impossible when determination, hard work, dedication and even one’s true voice come into play.

These qualities do however shine much better when one’s perception isn’t the dark cave itself but on the lookout for any star, twinkling or not in the very back.

Someone may say this perception only results in disappointment. That may be the case at times but that’s a risk you have to take if you want anything good in life, anything to change in your life.

I vividly remember going through elementary school mimicking the behaviours of others in my attempt to fit in. Then with high school, I was much too concerned with the “right” people noticing me despite the fact that I was shy at the time.

I’m going to save you some time that I wish I could get back and just tell you to be yourself. There’s no such thing as the right people you’re meant to surround yourself with. The right people in your opinion might appear to be the “cool” kids who miss class and always carry a skateboard with them.

Why’s that? You might want some excitement in your life or like the way everyone views them.

Yet you don’t know why they miss class, if they have troubled home lives and always feel the need to carry that skateboard on them if they need to hide out somewhere in a hurry.

It might be hard to not envy the looks of amazement others toss their direction. But those looks mean nothing when they don’t know the entire story, the entire truth.

In a society where it’s common for people to be fake to fit in or to get information from you to use against you later, be the genuine that you begin to see less and less of in the world.

That comes with being yourself and not always approaching the “cool” groups. Instead, approach those always sitting by themselves or those that try to talk to everyone but it still being evident that they too feel lonely or unheard.

Redefine cool by who makes you feel like you can be yourself with no regrets. Hang out with those who make your smile brighter than before, constantly make you laugh yet don’t leave when you need to cry or vent.

This may be difficult and sometimes involves being on your own for a while, truly finding yourself and your unique voice, and that alone will intrigue others like-minded to you.

Social media can be toxic at times yet I did find myself scrolling on some off days and reading ideas that changed things for the better.

The whole idea of dressing to impress yourself yet feeling like everyone is staring at you strangely is anything but the truth. I forget the exact words, but the quote I stumbled upon was something along the lines of the reactions of others having nothing to do with you but everything to do with them.

Having that mindset is truly a gamechanger. Odd stares you may receive are because others are jealous of how confident you are, something they lack in themselves. You won’t get a lot of them because everyone has their own issues going on behind closed doors that most aren’t even looking at you. That’s another thing to think about and why it’s important to be comfortable with who you are inside and out because that will make everyday life so much easier.

You may not have found your true voice just yet and that’s okay. It took me a while to find mine and once I did, it took me a while to realize I could use it. I’ve always been one to follow the rules and with being super shy, I always thought you figuratively needed permission to speak. Once I slowly got out of my shy shell and realized the opportunities to get to know incredible individuals that I missed, my true voice mattered all the more to me.

A huge belief of mine is that words will always be higher than actions. You may remember what somebody did but words have a tendency to echo and trigger feeling, what sticks with us.

On your off days, you can talk to yourself in the mirror to boast up your confidence or even write in a way that releases your emotions. I have a notebook in which each entry is addressed to shy girl, a part of me who makes me who I am even though she’s my inner voice and doesn’t show as much on the outside as she used to.

I plan to use some of those entries for a novel I intend to write in the future but for now, they’re all in a notebook and I’ll read certain ones when I need to feel certain things or just see how much I’ve grown.

Whatever you do to keep yourself going, never forget to make time for yourself and always make an effort to discover new parts of you. Nobody will ever know yourself better than you. You’re with yourself 24 hours of each and every day, nobody else is.

Due to this, your opinion of yourself is what matters most. Don’t be someone you’re not and don’t be afraid to stand out when none of us were made to blend in. Make your mark on this earth with whatever speaks to you and make many good connections that make life all the more meaningful.

Your life experiences good and bad make you you. You can’t change them, only be the best version of yourself. Embrace that and never stop growing, learning, loving and being the amazing individual you are.