Love Yourself and Break Those Stereotypes

By Georgina Nicholos on February 26, 2017

In a world full of chaos, breaking stereotypes and loving ourselves is the most important lesson we must learn.

We’ve all heard phrases like, “Find yourself and be that,” and “love yourself before someone else can,” or, “you’re beautiful in your own way, ” and “don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can not do.” They all seem confident, right?

Well a lot of us have also heard, “You’re not smart enough,” and “you’re not good enough,” or, “you’re a boy, and only girls do that,” and “this is a major for men, not women.” Now those don’t sound too positive, do they?

The problem with society is that it is, in fact, society. Stereotypes run our world because we have chosen they could, so they do. It may sound cliche, but I am here to tell you that you are good enough, you are smart enough, boys and girls can do whatever they put their minds to, and you should love yourself regardless if you want or don’t want someone else to love you, too.

Breaking stereotypes and learning to love ourselves, as a whole, is the only thing that will be able to help this world become better and stronger than ever before.

http://www.brandsynario.com

What if I told you that you were beautiful or unique, would you believe me? What if I told you that even in a room full of opposites, you stand out for others factors besides looks or gender; would you believe me? I am not here to point out stereotypes in a negative way. I am here to point out the negative stereotypes and translate them into positivity — the positivity that many of us as college students need to learn.

Last week a professor told us, “You are the future generation, how our world begins to function and what our world starts to decide what matters is up to you and nobody else.”

lifehack.org

In a world full of chaos, we need to stand together and lift each other up. In the end, nobody can tear someone down if they believe in themselves and there’s always someone next to them to help them back up!

As colleges students, our job is to lift our community up as much as we can. Whether you are a student at a small university or a big school, there’s always room for improvement. There’s always an excuse to host events that allow people to come and leave feeling more motivated to love themselves and others.

Love may be a strong word, but it is both a word and action that will make our world stronger. “Break stereotypes and love yourself” is easier said than done, right? Not really. In a world full of wrong, do right. We all have stereotypes embedded inside us but what we choose to do with those stereotypes is up to us. As young adults, it is our job to spread change throughout the world.

•Know a woman choosing to go into a male-dominated profession? Applaud and motivate her.

•Know a male who wants to become an artist or a dancer? Encourage and support him.

•Know a minority male or female who is struggling to try to fit in? Make them feel accepted and welcomed.

•Know someone struggling with their appearance? Help them see their beauty and spread it.

•Know a man who isn’t into working out? Don’t care and don’t make him feel weak.

•Know a woman who wants to play basketball with the boys at the university gym? Say okay, she might even be better than you.

•Know a male who wants to become a teacher? Guide him and help teach others why it’s a good thing.

•Know a woman who feels intimidated in a business class full of men? Tell her it’s okay and show her why being different is a good thing.

I could go on all day with a list of stereotypes and how to confront and change them, but you get the picture. Being different is good and sometimes an advantage. However, being different can leave room for a lot of confusion and lack of self-esteem. If there’s something you want, go get it, and please encourage others to do the same! You won’t regret it, and it’ll probably make you feel better.

More so, you may be recognized as a hero in your community or on your campus and encourage others to follow in your footsteps. It only takes one person to start change and influence change throughout everyone else.

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