Expectation to complete self-discovery in high school unrealistic

One of the main components of attending high school is figuring out exactly who you are. High school is the time to get out of your little shell and explore what makes you happy. This could be in a sport, a club, theater, music or simply a hobby that has nothing to do with school. Here, you make connections, which turn to friends, which turn to more friends, best friends, “friends,” frenemies and eventually a constant that makes high school somewhat less daunting. You figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and they become a part of who you are.  

However, there seems to be this pressure to figure out who you are within this short four-year span. There are some people who enter nearly halfway through their senior year, unable to come up with column ideas for the newspaper because all their lives they’ve just agreed to everything they’ve been exposed to because they have developed a fear of any sort of consequences that come with opposition or being or thinking differently than everyone else throughout their 13 years of public schooling and thus were never able to properly develop a stance on anything. 

*deep inhale* 

*deep exhale* 

I am aware that I have interests and hobbies, and I can name them: sleeping, running, music, anything that can make me laugh until I cry, daydreaming, etc. On the other hand, if someone were to ask me to describe myself in five words, I would constantly be second-guessing myself. With scholarships and college applications looming, I see this as a problem. It may be a “me” problem, but it’s still a problem. 

What I’ve been trying to do over the course of this school year is something I’ve been afraid of doing throughout high school: letting go. I want to go about the rest of my life being unapologetically me, not some version of me that will make everyone happy. I’ve figured out who I am, and now I’m currently working on showing my true self to the world without worrying about what others will think about me. I am funny, smart, kind, thoughtful and interested in the weather.  

High school may only be four years, but self-discovery can last a lifetime. What if everyone felt comfortable with being themselves without focusing on other people’s opinions? All the awesome people in the world would become much more awesome. This isn’t about immediately turning the switch from a people-pleaser to a people-person, because these things take time.  

All I’m saying is, wherever you are on your journey of self-love and self-discovery, you should be proud of yourself. Because I am proud of you.