Do we even know what we want anymore? Sometimes it feels like there is a little personal assistant sitting right in the palm of your hand telling you exactly what you need to eat, what cosmetics to use, what t-shirts will fit the man in your life best, what pillow you should sleep on, what diet you should follow, etc. It feels that way because there is (you may be reading on it right now, but don’t stop). We are bombarded everyday with ads, influencers, and even the guy down the street telling you what you need in your life.

I remember this being the same my whole life. Of course, not on the scale that it is now, but still in a way that suited the times. Those groggy Saturday mornings I would crawl out of bed to watch cartoons (on one of the three channels we had at the time) there they were. The commercials that told me what cereal I should be eating, the toy I had to have next, and even the shoes that would make me run the fastest. Trust me, those shoes never worked, there was always a new brand of cereal, and I lost interest in every toy like the one before.

We’ve been told our whole lives how we should eat, dress, what we should drive, how we should look, and don’t even get me started on the contour (don’t get me wrong-I’ve seen the magic happen). We just live in a society where the standards seem to be set straight out of the womb.

I see and hear so much now about people taking the time to “find” themselves. Could this be where the loss of self starts? Did our parents have it right when they encouraged us to “try one bite, you might like it”?

I challenge you to find your likes without clicking on a “like” button. Try the shirt on that no one else is wearing, wear the shoes that actually feel good on your feet, sleep in that frayed shirt from an old concert (because it reminds you of how much you danced). Stop letting the world tell you who YOU are.

There is only one YOU! Take the time to eat, dress, dance, and contour how you like. Just don’t do it while being “under the influence”.