Article: Dare to be You! By Eileen Key

(c) 2003

We want to be valued for who we are, yet it can be difficult to stay true to ourselves. We are bombarded with messages to conform. How can we make the right choices?

Be bold! Be strong! Be different!

Wait a minute. Different at my school, in my crowd? I don't think so. I can't afford to be labeled weird.

Most of us desire to be liked and to fit in with the group. While natural, that desire could lead to wrong choices. Peer pressure is a powerful tool. The multi-billion dollar advertising industry knows how powerful. Check out any television or magazine ad. Before you get sucked in, think about it.

Look around and evaluate your choices.

Your face speaks before you do. It isn't zits we're discussing, but the make-up. Use your mirror. Look at your eyes. Will people see you or your face-painting? Owning cosmetics and imitating a picture in a magazine may not be best for you. Your face is unique. You need your own look. Not fake, real. Foundation applied correctly will help you with problem areas. If you aren't sure about colors and how to blend your foundation, many department stores offer free consultations. Remember more doesn't always equal good.

Stand in front of the mirror and check out your clothes. Your choice of apparel makes a statement. Name brand or not, tight jeans and low cut shirts send out a message. You want respect, not lustful stares and ugly remarks. Face the mirror and lean over; is anything showing that should not be?

Do you hang with friends walking on the edge, pushing the limits, making wrong choices? Has the `tude rubbed off on you? Be bold. Make a change. Find one person outside of your usual crowd and speak to them. Start with hello and a smile. Begin a conversation. Have lunch with someone different. Give a new kid a break. They might become your best friend.

The Bible says in I Samuel 16:7-"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Bottom line, life is not about friends deciding for you. Evaluate your choices.

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Eileen Key, a freelance author, resides in San Antonio, TX. She has taught middle school for twenty years.