Love Yourself by cailey

Love Yourself by cailey - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

As the saying goes, "Perhaps you would have made different choices knowing then what you know now, but that won't help for future decisions unless you're planning to develop psychic abilities," and I could not agree more. It may seem counterintuitive, but I think one of the most important decisions at this age is the decision to allow oneself to live in the present, to make mistakes, to learn from them, and to grow, with help from the greatest teacher of all; experience. That being said, my one piece of advise to share with you, a fellow younger student, may seem a little cliche at first, but just be patient with me. Put easily; Don't forget to love yourself, too.
Throughout college, I've caught myself as well as all of my friends, co-workers, and classmates doing things simply because they feel like they have to, because their parents expect them to, because their significant other needs them, because graduate schools will approve of it, or because society encourages it. Without doubt, the importance of doing what you love, focusing on yourself, and not letting others influence you, especially during your college years, is often overlooked, but extremely crucial. In Iowa city, especially, going out and drinking multiple nights a week is not only socially accepted, but it is almost forced amongst the students. Students often get into the habit of this and fail to take time to see the beautiful places and awesome resources Iowa provides in order to help you achieve your dreams. It is so easy to give in and say yes to going out, or to volunteering at a boring facility, or working a dead-end job where your boss treats you poorly but hey, at least you are make money, right? Wrong! You must not forget what matters in life and value moments, feelings, opportunities, and relationships, rather than the superficial. Every now and then, you need to take a step back and reevaluate. Do you really want to waste your college years doing what everyone else wants you to do? Ignore the peer pressure, don't be afraid to have different hobbies. Be lonely, even if it's hard, and really put time into developing a relationship with yourself. I had a bad habit of going downtown after my friends begged me to, simply because it easier than explaining the fact that I would actually prefer to just relax or to stay in and study, learn, and explore a variety of things. I was always afraid of admitting this, because people would unquestionably make jokes about me being a nerd or loser. I invested far too much time and energy into people that didn't treat me well, relationships that were toxic, friends that were insincere, and hobbies that were not even intriguing to me. Eventually, I felt like i had totally lost myself. I forgot my values, I sometimes disregarded my morals, and I ignored my own wants and needs.Luckily, I eventually learned how to say no without having to explain myself, but I really wish I would've started sooner rather than later. I have to admit, now a days, while I'm finishing up studying certain topics pertaining to my human physiology major, chemistry minor, pre-med track, or while I'm working two jobs, volunteering, and spending time with my dog, I have never felt so happy, fulfilled, successful, and mostly important, I feel like myself. I am becoming the person I was meant to be and the person I want to be. Staying productive, completing rewards jobs, learning new things, and not wasting time doing things I'm not interested in has shown me the significance of loving yourself, learning about your own passions, and staying true to those passions in order to create a life you love as well. I think everything else falls into place after this, and thats why i stress that you simply cannot forget to love yourself and make decisions that reflect that.
Enough about my life though! The purpose of sharing my story with you is so that you can hopefully relate, understand the necessity of a confident and loving relationship with yourself, as well as the true fulfillment it will bring you. I wish I would've known all of this back then, but because I didn't, some heartbreak and great deal of experience really did me a favor, in the long run. That being said, my next piece of advise is.... take my advise! Love yourself and I can assure you everything else will fall into place, surely and smoothly.