People like to judge other people. A lot. I’ve learned people judge you for things you do and clothes you wear. It starts around second grade and doesn’t ever stop, even once you hit senior year and expect people to grow up. It’s taken me a long time to not care what people think about my appearance, actions and anything else about me. Now I generally do what I want (within reason of course) and pay little attention to the negative reactions people may have.

A big part of this attitude came about when I realized it was such a waste of time to be worrying about something many wouldn’t even notice. However, this doesn’t mean I still don’t get anxious when I first put on something that I’ve never seen anyone else in Liberty wear, or have heard people call it ridiculous. I have just gotten better at tuning out those thoughts, moving on with my day and maybe Instagramming my outfit later as a way to show myself it’s no big deal.

In middle school, I would wear the same Aéropostale shirts over and over again because I was secure in the idea that they were “safe” options and wouldn’t draw attention to myself. Today, I occasionally buy clothes based on how “unsafe” they are, simply because I like the way they look.

I have found this principle can be transferred to areas besides fashion as well. My taste in music, political views and aspirations are all reflective of me doing what I want, how I want. This isn’t me saying, “Oh I’m so different from everyone in everyway!” This is me saying I decide for myself if I like something, instead of relying on other people’s opinions to form my own. My political views used to change at the drop of a hat, based on who I last talked to and same for the music I listened to, AKA, a lot of Coldplay and Owl City.

The point I’m trying to make is that life is way easier once you stop basing your decisions completely off of other people’s opinions. When you only listen to others and not yourself, your decisions aren’t really your own and it can be difficult to know who you are as a person. Finding who you are outside of other people’s opinions and judgements can be difficult, but all it takes is a little risk.