I used to try my hardest to impress other people. I would do this by giving them things they asked for or doing certain things that were not true to myself, such as changing the way I dressed, acted, and even how I treated other people. I didn't realize until after I had made many choices and decisions that always had me putting other people ahead of myself. I wish I could go back and have shown more self respect and made decisions that benefited me as well as others instead of putting all my stock into others being satisfied with me. This is why I believe in not basing all your choices around other people.

By not changing parts of yourself to conform to social norms and the expectations of those around you, you are showing independence, which is something that others you meet will respect about you. In addition, you will also have better experiences not always saying what others want to hear or doing what they want you to do. This is important because you will be happier not being subdued and feeling free to not have to be a victim of peer pressure by conforming to the expectations of others.

When I used to care more about the opinions of others than myself, I would put my worth into how much they thought of me. Eventually I developed enough confidence to determine my own self-worth. Before I developed this sense of self respect, I would avoid taking risks for the fear of embarrassing myself in front of others. I still do this in many ways, and one of the most prominent I remember and that I still do sometimes is choosing not to share my opinions for fear of them being wrong. I have done this in conversations with my friends and sometimes when I was in classes. When I got called on but didn't want to share my opinion for fear of it being wrong, I would get nervous and make up an obviously incorrect and shaky answer, that made me seem even more inexperienced and was probably more embarrassing than if I had said my original answer.

There are many similarities between things that happen in your everyday life and major events that are happening right now, such as protests against the government and people in power. Despite these setbacks you may experience in your regular day, remember that there are people doing everything in their power to fight against those who oppose their ideals. They are receiving pressure from forces much more powerful than themselves. If you ever feel pressured by those who seem more powerful than you and you are scared to take risks, remember; if people all around the world are standing up for what they believe in, even when the odds are against them. If they don’t give in even in such scary situations, then you don’t have to either.

If there is one thing you should take away from this essay, it is this: Be your own person and don't base everything you do around others. You are unique. Taking risks inspires others to do the same.