Originality vs. Perception

 Let's start this off with a great big HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  Hopefully you spent NYE with those nearest and dearest to your hearts and/or party hard :)

I have noticed a good deal of you have decided to change the inner you... to evolve into a different version of self. Some have decided that being the same person year after year has not yielded the results in life that you were looking for... and self -reflection is awesome! I commend those of you who have enough insight to see the need for change. As creatures of habit, sometimes it's hard to break old cycles and evolve into the best version of you; especially in the age of reality TV and technology. As 20- Somethings, sometimes we have an identity crisis where who we are/were no longer works for who we want to be; so we begin the search to discover new traits and habits to adopt. Along this path, we pick up many role models with different backgrounds and experiences because we feel we can relate or they hold the key to the type of happiness we're seeking. While looking for inspiration in others is a good thing, we must be choosy of the people we decide to base the "Newer" version of self from.

Throughout the week many of my friends including myself tune into the various reality shows "Love and Hip Hop". " Real housewives of Wherever" and so on and so forth... and then have discussions about the events that transpired . While we all watch for entertainment reasons, I know many people who watch to imitate the success and failures of these women. The lives that the people in the media have did not happen overnight and things weren't always as simple as they may appear to be for them. Some of them have done things in the past they weren't proud of or had to experience major life-altering situations to become your favorite "Housewife" (for example). Imitation is the biggest form of flattery but while trying to follow the steps of others, I believe we start to loose a bit of who we are. Originality should be the goal while undergoing any growth process. We all have a path in this life and just because you may not enjoy the comforts that another seems to doesn't devalue the path and the person you are meant to be.

I believe sometimes we misinterpret the message that is sent out with some of these reality shows. Truly we hear, see and believe what we want but alot of times, these shows are really serving as a warning. The best form of change is to look within yourself and your surroundings to find the things that no longer work; start to improve on those first. Research the role models that you decide to pick up... Ask questions and be as thorough as possible. If you want to be neater, get into the habit of picking up your clothes from the floor before going to bed. If the goal is to be on time, set your clock 5-10 minutes early; You don't have to develop OCD or plaster a time schedule on your wall to make the changes you want. Nor do you have to watch other people live their lives to inspire your own. Be the change you would like to see my dear 20-somethings and the rest will fall into place.