You’re a girl. You’re single. You’re in college…

It’s Friday night and you’re getting all dolled up with your girlfriends for a night out. You do your makeup, choose an outfit, and ask all your friends for their opinions on how you look. They love it, of course. You’re excited to have a good time, but realistically, you have no idea how your night is going to turn out. There are so many possibilities that lie ahead, and it kind of scares you. But knowing that you have your girls by your side makes you feel slightly better about it.

You get to the bar and you’re a little tipsy, but you’re able to observe the scene and and check out the crowd. You can’t help but notice all of the girls who have no care in the world to protect their image. They're constantly jumping from guy to guy appearing extremely desperate and dirty, completely drunk and looking clumsy. You’re thinking to yourself that these girls have absolutely no standards, and that you would be mortified if others saw you acting like that.

--

In this day and age, it can be difficult to not get wrapped up in what is deemed as being “normal.” As millennials, we can’t catch a break from the craziness that surround us. What even is modern dating? How does one do it? Is it acceptable for a woman to want a relationship anymore? Are women expected to just throw themselves around for the satisfaction of the opposite sex? When are women going to be viewed as human beings who should respect themselves and demand respect from others?

Millennials really don't have it easy. It’s obvious that young women are just trying to fit in by acting this way, but at what cost? Sacrificing their image? Is it really worth it to completely tarnish the way others see you by conforming to society’s immoral norms? You may be thinking, “Well, I don’t need to worry about what others’ think of me…” True, but let’s be real. Wouldn’t you prefer others to know you as an individual who carries herself with class? Someone who is respected and who doesn’t allow others to take advantage of her? Someone who has high standards and expects others to rise to meet them?

My intentions in writing this article are not to tell my readers how to behave and how to act. My goal is to make women more aware of what is at stake. I want to inspire women to embrace themselves for who they are and to embody the utmost confidence. I want women to realize their beauty. I want women to stop feeling like they are not good enough because that results in lowered self-esteem, careless actions, and ultimately, regrets.

“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.”