I don’t like being told what to do.

This has forever been a part of my personality, since day one. I’ve never liked to fit in or do whatever everyone else does. I am my own person, and I’m not going to do what is considered normal just because that’s the way it is.

Doing my own thing and having a knack for breaking the rules can sometimes be a bad thing. It can be a simple as me being petty and walking on a piece of grass where there’s a sign that clearly says “DO NOT WALK ON GRASS!” It can also look something like me turning right when the GPS said to go left. Not because I was confused on where I was going, but purely because I didn’t want to listen. There have also been times I get in trouble with my mother because I don’t do things when she asks, even if I was already intending on doing them. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do them, I just didn’t want to do them because she told me to (sorry Mom).

But having a rebellious spirit can be a good thing, too. Having a rebellious spirit doesn’t always mean being the boy with long hair, or being the girl who doesn’t dress like everyone else (although, if it is, that’s perfectly fine, too). You can be rebellious in the way you act, and what you believe in. It’s been the rebels and the people to fight societal norms that pave the way. No one should do anything just because someone tells them too. If you think something is wrong, do something about it.

In this day and age, young adults, especially young women, feel so much pressure to fit in and do what they're told, but I have a problem with that. If we just accept what we’re told, nothing can be fixed. No one will fight for the issues that arise when going with society’s flow. So, I’m here to encourage everyone, if you don’t agree with something, don’t do it. Fight against it. Be rebellious. Don’t listen, just because that’s what you “should” do.

Don’t wear what someone else tells you to, wear what makes you feel good, and what makes you feel comfortable. Don’t act the way that’s accepted, just because that’s the way it’s always been. Don’t believe something just because someone else tells you its right. Do your own research, make your own opinions. Disagreeing with someone is not a crime, and it shouldn’t be treated as such.

Girls, if you don’t want to have long hair just because “that’s what boys like,” chop it off. Boys, if you want to have long hair even though it’s seen as “girly,” grow that bun (I’m specifically not using the term man-bun because a bun is a bun whether a man or woman has it). If you don’t want to have the same political views as your parents, don’t. Believe what you think is right. And don’t listen to the GPS, because sometimes getting lost can create the best memories of your life.

Don’t accept being told what to do. Be you. Be fully you, all the time. Be weird and be different, because that’s what makes life beautiful. Sometimes going against the grain isn’t what easy, but if it makes you happy, then that's what is right. Be the individual you were created to be, and don’t take the criticism to heart, because doing what you’re told will get you where other people want you, not necessarily where you want to be.

Find your inner rebel, never let it go, and only listen to others when you truly feel like it benefits you.