"You were made special, don't settle for a substitute."
Instead of ending today with a song, I chose to start it off with one because it is a wonderful song that really helped me and I am sure it has touched others. I'm not sure if anyone actually listens to the songs I link but if you do or if you don't I really suggest you give it an ear. The lyrics are amazing.
I decided to post about this today because it is something that I struggles with for a very long time. Even to this day, those same emotions try to creep up on me but I cannot let them. I remind myself to push those thoughts out of my head because I am better than that. I cannot be anybody else, I would probably suck at it anyway so the best decision I can make is to be me and be the best I can be and let others take notice. Nothing can come from you trying to be just like another person. I'm not saying don't have role models. I am saying that you are you and they are them and that you can try to have a few character traits but don't try to copy their life.
So many girls are suffering out here today. Not eating, throwing up, having sex at a young age because they think that it is the way they should be. They see it in the media, they see it around them and they want to be like the supermodels who were photoshopped anyway. They cannot imagine themselves as beautiful if they are not wearing make up and designer clothes that they cannot afford in the first place. They are not cool unless they look like girls in BET videos and talk the same vulgar way. But why try to be someone else when you can be you? People are always criticizing and judging, that is never going to change but we can change how we respond to it can't we? Tedashii says this, "You're beautiful, don't let nobody tell you otherwise." What they say is meant to hurt you, why are we letting them? Don't let people get under your skin, take things with a grain of salt and just be you. You can be whatever size, whatever skin color, have whatever type hair, be however intelligent you want to be and wear what you feel the most comfortable in.
And I am not trying to leave out the guys. It is the same for guys who feel the need to keep up with the trends as well, even when they don't actually like them. What sense does that make? They sag, they lock their hair, they smoke, they bang, whatever they think is what they should be doing. And it is not their fault. It is our fault. We as American citizens are allowing this to happen. We don't turn off the TV when our 6 year old is in the room and we're watching Get Rich or Die Tryin we don't change the station when all we hear is cursing. We think it's funny when babies learn to cuss or drink or smoke. But it's not. Once again, I do NOT mean everyone but enough of us. More than enough. And those of us who disagree with these trends aren't doing anything to stop it. We aren't teaching our children what they need to know instead of what the media feeds them. The vast majority ignore the issue hoping that will make it disappear but it won't. Make the media take notice. Post about it, share it. Stop buying the CD's or going out to see the movies. Stop paying $300 for a t-shirt that has a giant MK on the front. We complain and talk about how things were different when we were growing up but we are not being the difference. We are letting children have phones and go on dating apps and chat rooms and be the adults. Well, my momma always told me that I'm not an adult until I move out and start paying my own way. So if your kids are not really adults, no matter what age they are, you might need to sit down and have an intervention. And there is still the chance that a beat down may have to happen, the saying isn't "knock some sense into you" for no reason.
We have to make that change happen. We have to stop the stupidity that Americans think is normal. Stop rewarding stupidity with fame and start acknowledging those who are unique and appreciate that uniqueness. We have tons of statues of famous athletes, why don't we raise some money to build a statue to a poet or a "plus sized" model (who we all know is just average sized)? What is wrong with listening to people who have experience and learning through their mistakes instead of making our own?
Learn to be yourself and celebrate it. And teach others to do the same. Set the standard and be a role model.
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