Free-spirited by Ashley

Free-spirited by Ashley - September 2022 Scholarship Essay

Looking back on my past self, one piece of advice I would offer little Ashley is just to be a kind, free-spirited person. I spent too much time worrying about what others would think of me. I tried to act a certain way. I did not eat enough, even though I was small as it is, and acted like those I would hang out with. Too many times I would gossip about others and get frustrated and hurt when others gossiped about me. Based on where I am today, I have seen a difference. I choose to be myself in front of others even when they don't like who I am. I now know that not everyone is going to like me and that's okay. Even though people don't like me, I believe that it is my duty to show them kindness no matter what. What I do in my life is all up to me, and the way I want to spend it is by being carefree and soaring in the sky. In the end, I am the one who can choose to make myself lead a long, happy fulfilled life, or to continue going down the route of following the way others choose for me.