Today, we have a feature from the next generation of journalists. Mia Rivera, 13, is a student at Unity Junior High School. As a school project, Mia wrote and performed the following essay for her school’s community.
Hello everyone,
Today I am going to talk about being true to yourself and how it can boost your self-esteem.
What is being true to yourself? Being true to yourself is developing your own values and beliefs rather than imitating the values of others. It means having integrity.
Now ask yourself, “Why is it so hard to be true to yourself?” The answer is because we are social beings, relying on the thoughts and presence of others. We have self-doubt and need to remind ourselves that we are enough just as we are. It is important to let go of the past and focus on our future, ignoring the judgment of others. Being true to yourself means celebrating your strengths, not getting hung up on your weaknesses. By following these rules, we can boost our self-esteem.
Did you know that in this country 13 million kids get bullied every year? That equates to 1 in 4 kids. Bullies feel bad or insecure about themselves, so they take it out on others. One way to stop bullying is to ignore what bullies say to us. We have to remember that bullies don’t actually think that we are ugly or weak or whatever reason they are bullying us. At the root of their words is jealousy.
To bullies, I say, “If there is something bad going on in your life, don’t take it out on others. Seek out the help you need. By doing this you are not only helping yourselves but also others.”
My advice is to be who you are. Authenticity comes from your being yourself, and that authentic self is YOU. Not your friends or anyone else. It’s okay to say “no” to others when our actions conflict with our authentic self, if only we can stop caring about what other people think.
Remember, over time, friends come and go, so changing ourselves only to fit in is a short-term, ineffective strategy. It’s important also to look after ourselves and be honest about how we feel. It’s okay to set boundaries to keep people from taking advantage of us. By doing this, we are one step closer to finding our TRUE self.
I think a great proposal would be dedicating a day in school every month to self-awareness. During “Self-Awareness Day,” teachers could help children understand what it means to be true to ourselves. It is important that all kids know this and, as a result, it could boost self-esteem, which could even help them perform better in school. I believe it should begin first thing in the morning so it can improve the rest of the day for students. Because it takes place once a month, it will consistently remind kids about the importance of being true to themselves.
Teachers can demonstrate ways to show integrity, self-esteem, and confidence. Then kids can take the time to write down ten things they love about themselves and how they have been feeling that month. Teachers can track the students’ feelings for the year to see if they have improved or not, and they can keep an eye on the students to see if they need help.
I believe we should start promoting this to all the schools in Cicero, and then to all the schools in Illinois and even nationwide. Self-Awareness Day could be an important step for kids practicing being true to themselves.
Sadly, I remember there was a time when I was NOT true to myself. I would always follow others and only care about what my friends thought of me. I wanted to be just like my friends, so I started to act like them. This did not end well for me. After getting in trouble several times, I learned to be a leader and not a follower, and that is my advice for you too.
Believe in yourself. Believe in who you are. Have integrity and self-esteem. Remember that you are important, and you matter. So, as your authentic self, stand up and be a leader.
Mia Rivera, a student at Unity Junior High, possesses a profound passion for art. In addition to her artistic pursuits, she enjoys playing soccer and has a love for dance. She is currently enrolled in an accelerated program and aspires to become a surgeon in the future. Mia believes in the importance of staying true to herself.