The Power of Being Yourself: A Lesson Learned at 19

At the age of 19, I made the decision to pledge a fraternity. As a pledge, one of my duties was to be the designated driver for my older brothers. One night, I found myself driving one of these older brothers home, along with a young woman who was attracted to him. To my surprise, she started complaining about the fact that he was dipping tobacco, calling it “gross” and “nasty”. I stayed silent as she tried to get me to tell him the same thing.

That’s when my older brother turned around, looked me in the eye through the rearview mirror, and told me a life lesson that would shape the rest of my life. He said, “Ocean, listen up. This girl is more attracted to the fact that I don’t give a fuck what she thinks, more than she’s turned off by the fact that I dip. Watch.” And with that, he proceeded to make out with her, proving his point.

This experience taught me the importance of being yourself and not conforming to societal expectations. Sure, I may look better in a suit, or I may have been more socially accepted if I did things differently, but that wouldn’t have been me. People are more attracted to someone who is confident in their own identity and grounded in who they are, rather than someone who tries to fit into a mold created by society.

As I got older, I realized that I had less and less patience for anyone who tried to change me. I was confident in who I was and didn’t want to compromise that for anyone. This lesson helped shape how I interact with the world and has allowed me to build strong, authentic relationships with the people in my life.

In conclusion, being yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. When we conform to societal expectations, we lose touch with our true selves and the unique qualities that make us who we are. So the next time you feel the temptation to conform, just remember this lesson and embrace your individuality. After all, people are more attracted to those who are confident in their own skin.