"I don't wanna be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately. All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind." - Gavin DeGraw (I Don't Want To Be).
If you're like most people, you've heard this song before on the radio back in the early 2000s or maybe even now! But if you're a special type of person, you've heard this song from the opening credits on the best TV shows that was ever created; One Tree Hill.
One Tree Hill was released back in 2003 and successfully had 9 seasons (which is on Netflix btw for you to binge watch). This show not only had many plot twist and overall a great storyline, but it also taught me some life lessons.
1. It's your life. Stop letting others trying to ruin it.
Life is too short is to please others. I mean we never know when our time is gonna be up and why would we want to spend it trying to satisfy others but not yourself? After all the time you've spent building yourself up, why let others tell you how to live? It obviously doesn't make any sense why people would do that, but if you were to cut those people out of your life you may end up living your life the way you want to and not changing who you really are.
2. Meeting everyone's standards isn't the same as being yourself.
Okay we get it. Sadly everyone has standards of everybody and if you don't fit in, well then you're not worthy to them. But who cares! This world we live in is constantly giving a list of criteria to meet, but overall we should still be ourselves. I say screw the list and just be you! Being your true self is honestly a 1000x better than meeting a list of requirements people have on you.
3. Your words can affect someone.
This episode was a huge eye opener. It shows how people can seem okay on the outside but could be hurting on the inside. Bullying someone or pretending they don't exist really does hurt and it can have a huge impact on that person and their confidence. Be kind and always look out for those who think nobody notices them, you may just save a life and change it for the good. Your words matter
4. Liars eventually get caught.
Okay lets be honest, we all have to lied to someone in our lives. Maybe it was a little white lie or a huge lie that could possibly ruin or affect your relationship with that person. Regardless, nobody likes being lied to and it can really hurt someone and ruin their trust for you. In the end the liar gets caught and well it never ends well for them.
5. We don't need guys for us to be happy.
Do we really need guys to make us happy? Of course not! We're our own person and our happiness shouldn't depend on a guy. Don't get me wrong, having a boyfriend is nice and can play a part of our happiness but not a HUGE PART of it! So the next time a guy upsets you, turn on some music to jam out to or call up your friends and have a night out to enjoy yourself. Show him that you don't need him to be happy!
6. Always be fearless when it comes to being yourself
We're all humans and we all have our own interests, likes, and dislikes. So if you ever think of doing something but don't want to be embarrassed or judged, forget about the ones who tear you down and do it! You're not here to please others.
7. People always leave
At some point or another the people we've known for so long are going to go their own way. It's life; we can't prevent them from leaving but we can sure as hell try to make them stay. However when its all said and done, people will leave.
8. Being labeled by others doesn't define who you really are.
In todays society, we all have labels. Whether its the words like "stupid" or "failure", they don't define who you are. They may see you as those labels, but only you know who you really are and what you are capable of. Do not let labels define your personality.
9. Always be proud of your accomplishments.
Let's say you got accepted into your dream school or you passed the exam you thought you bombed, no matter what it is always embrace your achievements. I mean let's be honest, you worked really hard to achieve those goals, you would be crazy not to celebrate your accomplishments. Showing others how much you're proud of yourself and achievements, shows them the way to success. Who knows, you could be an inspiration to others.
10. The future scares us all.
Alright its time to confess, we all at some point in our lives how thought of the future. Maybe you thought about what kind of job you would have or who you would end up marrying. Regardless, thinking about our future can be scary because we don't really know what's gonna happen to us. But there is nothing wrong with being a little fearful of the future. We all are and no matter how far in life we go, we will always fear for what's next to come.