Be yourself, and who you are meant to be

I've had many conversations recently with people about how to accept yourself for who you are. I have been the one to tell people when they are down and lonely that yes we are all different and we all have our problems, but no matter what we need to be ourselves. I have also been the one on the other side of the conversation that needs encouragement as well. I believe that college is a place to find yourself, figure out who you want to be, where you want to go, and what you want to be known for after you graduate. While that may not seem like much, that is quite a lot to figure out during the short four years you have, but some how most of us are able to figure it all out eventually. For me I have gone two and a half years not knowing the answers, but just recently I think that I've discovered some of those answers I've been looking for. However, these answers didn't come without a few bumps in the road.
Both last semester and this semester have seemed to just be constant struggles. I've had my questions about my choices since coming to Longwood, questions about where I want to go after, and most importantly I've struggled with acceptance. I don't tend to open up to people during the low points in life. I often time sugar coat the low points with the high points naturally as most would do. Why tell people about the bad when you can tell them about all the amazing things happening in life? I do though find that the low points are really what help define us as individuals, and sometimes talking about them and reflecting on them are really what help us grow and discover the answers to the questions we ask ourselves. Those points in life are what define you for who you really are.
After having a conversation with one of my close friends a few days back I realized that I don't need to keep this from my friends anymore. This conversation was centered around her, but in reality, it probably helped me more that it helped her. If these people are really my friends then they will stick around, they will be there for me when I need them, and they will for some odd reason accept me for who I am. I'm awkward, I'm weird, I'm emotional, I'm loud, I'm a talker but enjoy silence, I'm Kylie. I've learned to accept myself, and I've learned to let others accept me for who I am. If I can't be myself around my friends, then guess what, they aren't friends. They would just be people that are taking up space in my life. They don't deserve to be in my life. That may sound aggressive, but it's the harsh reality of it all.
Society is harsh. Much of the time people are pressured into being people they aren't just so they can "fit in." I'd say that elementary and middle school has probably changed quite at bit since I was there, but I can speak from experience that all I ever wanted to do was find ways to fit in with the people that I perceived as the "cool kids." Why though? Why change who you are to fit in with the people you think are cool? While this is how I felt in elementary and middle school, I can say that college, while vastly different, has it's similarities. I've leaned much about acceptance since coming to Longwood and I really hope that others have leaned what I have leaned. Longwood has given me the opportunity to truly be myself and find the friends that let me be myself. Don't ever let today's society change you because you don't think you're allowed to be who you want to be. There will always be people who look at you differently because you're not like them, but ignore them. Find the people that look up to you for being yourself. Find the people that accept you for you and the people that will bring happiness into your life.
With that being said a quick shout out to the ones that actually stick it out through it all. To the ones who accept me for my awkwardness and my pointless late night talks, thank you. Many times people don't realize what they are thankful for, but recently I've done a lot of thinking about what I am thankful for and my friends are by far towards the top of my list. So to you my reader, be yourself. No matter what your age may be, what your social or professional status may be, be yourself. There is no more happiness to be found than the happiness you will get from being yourself, and what will come from that happiness.