Making a Change

I used to think that it was superficial and shallow for people to always care about the way they look at every minute of the day. I used to make fun of the people who would stare themselves down in the mirror in order to make sure they looked decent. I was always the one wearing the sweatpants, chilling with no make up on, and just being me. My sister's obsession with makeup made it a complete turn off for me and I was always amazed at how people could be so self-conscious about the way they dressed, their hairstyles, and the makeup they wore that day.
Recently, however, I have started to look at things with a new perspective. The problem is not that people are self-conscious and superficial about they way they look (Well, sometimes this is actually true). The reason people care is because they want to feel special. They want to be a 'somebody', they want to be noticed. You can live your life wearing sweatpants, chilling with no makeup on, and be a nobody. Because that's how I always felt when I did that. I was a nobody. Sure it seems depressing and completely ridiculous, but it's true! Whenever I would dress up I would have a burst of confidence and I knew my true personality was beginning to reveal itself. I was always hiding behind the false pretense that 'I know who I am and I don't need to look like a supermodel to show it.' Of course you don't actually need to look like a supermodel...that's taking it a little too far. I know people who dress down all the time for the exact reason I was saying: to hide from the world and blend in with the crowd. One thing I learned is that you should never try and cover up your true self from this world, because if you do then you always end up with the wrong people in your life. Obviously if you are completely comfortable with who you are and you feel amazing no matter how you look then that is amazing and you should not try and change yourself! Living life as a teenager, a girl (or anyone really) is about being comfortable in your own skin and not letting your insecurities get to you.
So now I try and improve myself physically in order to seem like myself again (Not in a shallow way, I'm not like that). I do it to look my insecurities in the eyes and tell them to *BEEP* OFF! I do it so other people know that I am a somebody. I do it so I know that I am a somebody. That's the most important part. Looking good means feeling good, and when I feel good I know that I am important. I matter.

Stand out, be different, but never hide who you really are.

A Stranger's Sentiment,
S.B.

Don't You Worry, Child

Have you ever been so stressed and lost in life that everything seems to be going wrong? You can't sleep or eat and you are always so cold? Maybe you even try some retail therapy to help out (shh, don't tell my dad!). Usually the best way to deal with this for me is to relax, listen to amazing music, and clear my mind. But sometimes all I can do is think about my life. All I can do is think about what's going on, try to figure out why I'm feeling the way I am, and daydreaming about things that could potentially make me happy which then makes me feel even worse because it's not actually happening. There is no escaping. The words of the music get my mind going even more and suddenly I'm lost in a confusion of feelings and thoughts in my own brain. Even watching TV as a distraction doesn't seem to work. All I start to see are happy people living their dreams and actually knowing who they are and what their purpose is in life. I don't know who I am. I know life is a journey and you learn more about yourself every day you travel through, but I feel like I stopped and I don't know how to start again. I'm at a standstill.
So I'm taking it one day at a time. I'm hoping destiny has a plan for me. I don't even know if I believe in destiny (that's a topic for another time), but I just need a little push. I'm going to take Swedish House Mafia's advice and not worry (Great song, check it out-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y6smkh6c-0). Worrying only makes things worse. I think I just need to get back out there and live my life instead of spending time thinking about ways to live my life. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go out and face the world.
A Stranger's Sentiment,
S.B.

The Problem With The Real World

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the real world. No, not the MTV reality show. The ACTUAL real world. The world after high school, the one you come face to face with right after you finish college. When I thought about it at first, I dreamed of the big house with the white picket fence, a successful job as a lawyer, and a beautiful family. I dreamed up a perfect life for myself. So what's the problem, you ask? The problem is that no one ever has a perfect life. The problem is that there are complications in the real world. People have problems every day. Most are petty, but everyone has serious issues they must face throughout their lives. Cancer, other illnesses, death, abuse, debt, breakups, etc. However, you must always remember to not let your problems change who you are for the worse. Be yourself, don't become your problem. One of the important things in life is to not go through it thinking that you are the only one with a problem. Everyone has problems and battles that they fight throughout their lives. Sure some battles are more serious than others, but they are all important and they all affect a person in a way which changes them forever.

*I have said before that you can be happy if you really want to be in life. But sometimes you just need to be sad for a little bit. No one can expect you to go out and enjoy life the day after you were diagnosed with cancer or after a death in the family. Bad things happen in life. A lot of bad things. So cry a little bit, be sad, and after awhile, try to move on and think about the memories/good times. Don't worry so much about the future for now. Just look up at the sun and let the light shine on you, bright and happy.*
A Stranger's Sentiment,
S.B.

The Pilot: Lights, Camera, Action!

Lights, Camera, Action!
Life is a lot like a TV show or a movie, except for the fact that Life is Real. There doesn't have to be a happy ending in life, no matter how much you desire for one. 
But just because there isn't a promise of a happy ending doesn't mean you should give up on living. The way you live your life is a symbol of your happiness. If you think that you will never be happy and you sit on your couch all day masking your pain deep in the twists and turns of the Desperate Housewives storyline or by pretending to be part of the "crew" in How I Met Your Mother, then you need to change. Go out and live your life because you can be happy if you really want to be. Don't let the little things get to you because in the end, they won't even matter.
A Stranger's Sentiment,
S. B.