staying true to you

A heart to heart about staying true to yourself in being surrounded by masses.

No matter where you are in your life, you will constantly be surrounded by people who make you question yourself. Whether you are in the fashion industry, in the business world, or even still at school, it is hard to not compare yourself to others and conform just to fit in. The fact of the matter is that it is harder to stay true to yourself than to conform, and this is what I've learned over the years after feeling constantly left out of things. Though it may seem like the opposite on my social media, I am really not one to like attention on me. Events still make me jittery, meeting new people still makes me shy. Everyone posts where they are going, who they are with, what they are doing. It is hard, especially as an introvert, to always feel as if you are not doing the right thing. This may seem like a ramble, mostly because it is one, but I just wanted to have a heart to heart because if you are feeling this way, you are not alone. Just in this couple of months alone I have learned so much about who I want to be and how I want to make others feel.

It is so important that you surround yourself with people that keep you grounded. I've found that people that don't work in the same industry as you are amazing to go to, because they almost take you out of your own situation. They are not so self-consumed with the same things you may be obsessing over. People that are different from you make you take a step back and realize there is more to life than what you are focusing on right now. In contrast to that, making friends that are in the same industry as you can be valuable to. It is all about picking the right people who are genuine and who you connect to. I made a new friend, who is a blogger as well, and she is amazingly successful. We had lunch and she said to me, "you need to pick what will make you happy in that moment. Life is not all about these events, if you don't want to go, then don't go! Have a day to yourself with your man." And I left that meeting feel so inspired because she was so right. If I'm dreading something, why go? What real impact will it have? I don't have a post to show where I'm going? If anything it will make me feel happier, choosing the thing I really want to do. I wish that whole conversation was a podcast, because it really opened my eyes. She was right. And immediately when I see her content, I don't feel as if she is trying to compete. She is living her life, sharing snippets of what make her happy, and I can only wish to do the same.

Often it is hard to take ourselves out of situations. As social media grows larger, our need for taking ourselves out of it should grow larger, too. Instead of competing, we need to support. If you find a person not supporting, cut them out, you don't need them. I am writing this on International Women's Day, so it feels very right to be talking about this. It is 2018, girls need to support each other. It is when you get lost in thinking everything is a competition that you truly lose yourself. I think I almost headed down that path, but now I see that you are so much stronger when you have other people by your side, supporting each other and making one another happy. The only person that can lose yourself, at the end of the day, is you. Establish strong roots, surround yourself by people who make you a better person, not a worse one. And, I know I always say this, but cut yourself some slack! We do not have to be successful by 30. This idea has been engrained in our minds now, I think because of social media and all the articles we read every day. Set your own pace, find true friends, and support, support, support.