By Hannah Saltz

Caring.

If you don’t, you’re considered conceited or selfish. And if you do, you’re “too sensitive.” We, as people, especially as women, have been taught this from a young age. Businesses use this “brainwashing” to their advantage. For example, marketing campaigns say that we need to lose 20 pounds, get spray tans, etc. Some women feel pressured that in order to feel accepted by others they must look or act a certain way. If you’re into that kind of thing? That’s totally cool too.

From a personal perspective, I’ve started to care less the older I got. I’m tired of putting in energy to impress my peers and strangers that I pass by every day. By impress, I mean physically. I’m not going to beg for compliments by being someone I’m not. I’m not as insecure as I was before.

With caring less comes confidence. Finding security in my surroundings and identity helps build my confidence. Throughout time, this can change. At one moment I can feel secure, strong, and fearless then scared the next.

A key point to remember is that as time changes, so do you, not only in physical confidence, but in mentality too. In middle school, scoring a 65% on a test or quiz seemed like the end of the world. I would think my whole grade was ruined for the semester. Obviously, it wasn’t. But, I would feel as if I was stuck on this path of failure. As if that’s the only way I could continue down for the rest of the year.

The older I got, the more ways I found I could succeed. In this particular situation, it would be meeting with teachers, getting bonus points, and making sure I turned in all my assignments on time. Putting time and energy into something that you care about will make you happier in the long term.

You’ll find your sense of individuality and where your priorities lie. You’ll stop wasting your time on superfluous people and ideas. Trust me, when you stop prioritizing others over yourself and focus in on what’s best for YOU and how YOU can help yourself, things are going to be easier in the long run.