I can’t express myself because it’s not acceptable.

You’re sat at a table with the “popular lot” at school, you’re a straight male but you’re dressed like a female. You’re quite happy to get on with your school work as everyone else is meant to be but, you’re being questioned about what you’re wearing. People are making comments and laughing and disagree with your outfit choice. Other people don’t like your choice making it wrong – makes sense, doesn’t it?

At a young age, students believe that it is crucial for them to fit in with the crowds. It’s so easy to get lost in a crowd and believe that you must act in a certain way or be like a certain person. This can be really demotivating for many students all across the world. It can often make them feel as if they are unable to express themselves as who they are due to the lack of enthusiasm in today’s society and the way many people don’t support change. Unfortunately, due to the thoughts and beliefs of others, it is seen to be socially unacceptable to express yourself and be different. Ultimately, this means that people will often only accept you if you are a stereotypical male or female.

Over the last 20 years, a lot has changed. More people are coming out as gay or transgender etc, at a young age. This allows them to adapt to life early on to make sure that they are certain that this is what they want to be. There is nothing wrong with this, people just believe that it’s wrong because it isn’t “normal.”

Do me a favour, define a normal person. Exactly. You can’t, but why? Maybe… just maybe, it’s because there is no such thing. Everone is different and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Everyone is normal to themselves and that is what matters. If someone wants to act differently, what’s the bother? Leave them alone! It literally doesn’t affect your life at all! You deliberately go out of your way to make it your issue – that’s wrong.

If you’re that bothered and would like to know more about a person’s life, why not just be friendly and talk to them like the human being they are? They don’t bite, they are often just as nice (if not nicer) than you and I. Maybe you’ll make friends with someone new and be able to find out what it is that they like about their certain aspect. I’m not saying that you should question someone on their dress sense but, maybe try to make a person feel accepted. Studies show that people who hide their differences do it because they are scared of the thought and opinions of other people. That’s awful. Anyone should be able to be who they want to because they want to.

Do what you want to do to make you happy. If that means being someone completely different – do it! It will benefit you massively. Just believe in yourself and you can achieve anything!

“Sometimes, being different feels a lot like being alone. But with that being said, being true to that and being true to my standards and my way of doing things in my art and my music, everything that has made me feel very different… in the end, it has made me the happiest.” – Lindsey Stirling

Yugen – An awareness of the universe which triggers an emotional thought too deep for words.