For No One But Yourself by Jordan

For No One But Yourself by Jordan - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

When I was an upcoming freshman, my mind whirred at all the possibilities and opportunities high school had waiting for me. It was the biggest shot I had at a fresh start. I could be a cheerleader if I wanted to, or I could join theatre, or even marching band or tennis. But through this thought process, I always seemed to snap back to one question: what will everyone else think of me? Anything I considered getting into, that was my main point of inner conflict.

My problem was that I was insecure. I was so unsure of myself that I threw the validity of my actions into the hands of other people, sometimes even complete strangers. This was one of my biggest struggles as a young adolescent, lasting entirely through middle school and about halfway through freshman year. But at a moment that I can't exactly pinpoint, I started to find myself. I started to understand what I wanted to do, not for someone else, but for me. Maybe it was because I had, in fact, joined theatre which forced me to step outside my comfort zone. Or maybe it was just because I had reached an age of maturation. But subconsciously, I had gained the confidence to start putting myself first. Before, I saw doing this as greedy and selfish but time and experience began to show me that it was quite the opposite. From then on out, everything became much easier.

I'm not trying to preach my story of self-discovery or some great epiphany. The only thing I'm trying to get across is this: believe in yourself. As cliché and corny as it sounds, I can't even explain how much farther it will take you. Believing in yourself is so much more than being able to "do anything you set your mind to." Believing in yourself is having enough confidence to do the things that make you feel good, not other people. If it feels greedy, then sometimes being greedy is okay. At the end of the day, your biggest responsibility is your own well-being. So indulge a little. Treat yourself. Check off your needs before you start checking off everyone else's. The truth of the matter is, in three years most of these people won't even remember your name, much less your face. So be happy, be confident, and be strong. These next four years are going to fly by and by the end of it, you'll have your own advice for an upcoming freshman before you know it.