This I Believe – What do you believe?

There are many things that I believe in, personally.  However, my most firm belief I only gained a few months ago, when I first met my friend.  Below is my I Believe essay, which I have submitted to the website below.  Enjoy :)

“Nothing a person can do will ever be perfect in everyone’s eyes.”  This is a phrase that my best friend, Tayler, told me a while ago that I still use today when I am worried.  In fact, these seemingly simple words led up to my firm belief that once I have freed myself from the constant worry of always pleasing someone else, I can truly live my life to its fullest extent. 

When I was younger, I did whatever I could to please everyone around me, even to the point of forgetting what problems it could inflict upon myself and rarely focused on what mattered to me or what I thought was good.  This seemed like an obligation in my life and the only way I’d get along with others.  I was terrified of not being liked and of being hurt, so I locked myself away in a “box” and struggled to be “perfect”.  This was how I lived for several years-using this and other very poor methods of coping, but I soon found out that this way of life caused more problems for me than it solved.  However, the night I talked with my best friend, she made me realize how impossible it was for a single person to please the entire world.  She didn’t convince me of this fact right then and there.  It took a long time of mulling over her words in my head before I truly realized what she meant by her statements.  She convinced me overtime of how unhealthy it was for someone to live the way I was living.  Not only did I see how true a friend Tayler really was, but I also began the journey of changing my life for the better.  Now, a while later, I believe that as long as I live up to my own expectations and personal goals I set for myself, it doesn’t really matter if others don’t particularly like the way I act or what I do.  What really matters to me is whether I am satisfied with my effort and drive to succeed.  I am proud of who I am and of my efforts towards my goals, and Tayler and I are still best friends to this day.