DARE TO BE YOU 4.12.15 Blog Post by Alexandra Lange
As spring break comes to a close I would like to acknowledge the time and peace that this break has given me to think and just chill. This is kind of a weird post and I’m not completely sure where I am going with it but this is what has been on my mind lately! I have noticed that a lot of people in our generation are sad. It is incredibly difficult to feel content and happy with your life with the constant reminder that you are not good enough. Whether you don’t think your smart enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, curvy enough, or cool enough, you are completely and utterly wrong. How can you possibly not be pretty enough if there is no standard definition of what pretty is. If this doesn’t make sense to you, let me try to explain. For example, if you have an ear infection a doctor can take their nifty little otoscope, check you out, and see the sure signs of an ear infection. Beauty is based on perspective. A doctor can’t diagnose as beautiful (that would be a little strange). Essentially, there are no instructions on how to be cool or what the best body shape is. It’s just that our society has trained our minds to see beauty and power in this one strangely specific and especially unattainable way. Who decided that having a waist as thin as a piece of printer paper and a butt bigger than Kim K’s was the definition of sexy. Basically, there is no definition of a person who is sexy- so girl, you are sexy. I know this is something that I often bring up but it is so important to me. Young people everywhere feel the need to conform to society to be accepted. Not even just with body shape, but with fashion and music and the whole idea of being cool. Our generation has made it apparent that being “different” is cool. But if everyone is different, how can you be cool? I think people just need to be themselves and take risks. We pride ourselves on being accepting of differences but we all strive to be the same type of different. Something that makes me especially frustrated is when someone says they like someone else’s outfit and they say, “that’s so cool, but I could never rock it”. PLEASE DONT EVER SAY THAT. YOU CAN ROCK WHATEVER YOU WANT. Have confidence in yourself and you can rock the shit out of anything. You know that feeling you get when you put on an outfit that’s “kinda” out of the ordinary and you look in the mirror and start to second guess yourself- ignore whatever it is that is telling you to take it off (unless it is a parent of course) and own that
outfit. I can’t tell you enough- DO YOUR THING because you only get one life. Starting and writing a blog is something different and out of the ordinary to many teens. I have plenty of people make fun of me for what I do, but I couldn’t care less. I love blogging. It just especially makes me upset when people put down other people’s happiness because they are scared of something different. Don’t let anyone tell you your body is ugly, your music taste is bad, your style is off, or your interest are lame; because honestly you know that they are jealous that you have the confidence to dare to be you and dare to be different. This was a weird rambling session, but it really needed to happen. I legit, cannot stress to you enough, to not give a shit, because in the end it doesn’t matter as long as you’re happy :) give those haters a big middle finger and sweet smile!!!!!!!! If you are feeling down or uncomfortable with anything feel free to send me messages :) Im here for ya!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are some awesome people who don’t give a shit to inspire you: Leandra Medine (@manrepeller), Tavi Gevinson (@Tavitulle) Be a minor influence :)