According to Webster dictionary Society is defined as, "people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values". What I find striking is being able to define what Society is. How is it that a group of people with all the same laws, traditions, and values live in the same community? That seems like a stretch of the truth. I personally believe that Society cannot be defined. In a perfect world, it would be known as, "people in a community accepting each other's differences and living harmoniously." Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world.

We move along day by day seeing each other's masks, our suits of armor. These masks are protection against all harm that this judgmental society forces upon us. Our true selves are hidden under these; the question is, do we ever take the masks off?

How is it that society has become the big green monster of our childhood fears? This monster of ours has crawled out from under our beds and follows us around when we get dressed in the morning, do our hair, go to the gym, sing, dance, look in the mirror, laugh, and just about everything in our daily life. Whether we realize it or not we live with a fear of judgment.

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with happiness that you worry that something must go wrong because it is just too good? There's the fear. You ever dress in an outfit that is a new style but change because it's not your "usual"? There's the fear. You ever go to the gym and feel the need to leave almost instantly because you "don't fit in"? There's the fear. Society has made every person, strong willed or not, hesitate when they feel their

heart take flight.

Since I was born I was thrown into a world with barbie dolls, pretty dresses, and perfectly tied up hair. I was the first girl in my family so naturally I was showered with all things "girly". Of course, I loved these things at the time but once I grew into my own person and saw what else was out there, I decided I didn't enjoy them as much. I started wearing jeans, playing softball, and liking just about everything else I was not raised with. I was becoming my own person. Thankfully, my mother and father always gave me the option to be who I wanted to be and always let me know I am enough.

I AM ENOUGH.

When did we stop thinking that we were good enough?

As a child, we see the world in flying colors. We love expressing ourselves, figuring out who we are, and best of all using our creativity and imagination to drive us. But, in comes puberty, boyfriends, girlfriends, cliques, high school, drama, college, etc. Basically, Society corrupts us.

Society makes that child within you hide in the shadows. We worry constantly what others will think of us with every step we take. Why should we worry about the number of piercings we have, how loud we laugh, how much we smile, liking the same sex, praying in public, wearing all black, and most of all going against what the "norm" is.

SOCIETY DOES NOT GET TO SAY WHO YOU ARE.

Stop saying no and start saying YES to living.

Take a stand people, do what makes you happy to be alive and to be your one of a kind you. WE as a whole are SOCIETY. Can you believe it? WE are our OWN ENEMY.

If we all little by little break out of shells and get to the roots of who we are, we can break down these societal standards.

I start the rest of my life today, I hope you'll join me.

Be bold, be relentless, and be powerful.