An incredibly important aspect of growing up is learning to understand one’s personal morals, values and goals– in other words, finding one’s voice. This process may take years, but this maturation is integral in the development of one’s life.
“Always stay true to yourself and never let what someone says distract you from your goals,” attorney, author, and former first lady Michelle Obama said.
Exploring individuality and encouraging others to do so as well allows for the becoming of one’s best self.
Finding Yourself
The process of understanding oneself is characterized by the need for effort and patience. In order to become the person one is meant to be, they must first gain a personal understanding of the deepest parts of themselves.
“Joining the cheer team was the beginning of my journey towards self-expression,” senior Faith Oosterhoff said. “I really had to switch my mindset and become more outgoing.”
Becoming a part of extracurriculars is an incredibly important part of discovering one’s interests and learning more about them. Being informed can greatly assist in finding one’s voice, as a deeper understanding of a hobby or topic makes one better able to portray accurate information about it.
“Making new friends has really helped me to build myself up as a person,” senior Emily Alahmad said.
Finding people who share the same values can greatly assist in the process of learning to express oneself, as people are less nervous to be themselves amongst like-minded peers. This ability to show one’s true colors helps them learn to introduce their real selves to the outside world.
“I would say that my favorite part about watching students grow throughout the years is not just seeing how they grow academically, but maturity wise as well,” science teacher Stephanie Harnew said.
Teachers love to work alongside students and get to watch these young minds mature into the people they were meant to be. Getting to watch students find themselves and understand in depth their own opinions and principals is a driving force of teaching as a whole.
Expressing Yourself
After discovering one’s true morals, values and overall ideals, the next step is to understand how and when to express those principles of life.
“I like listening to what other people are saying, observing how that interacts with my own opinions and then defending myself,” senior Gabriel Molina said.
Although it’s important to understand and express one’s own opinions, knowing when to defend those opinions and how to listen with an open mind to the opinions of others is equally important.
Being able to utilize what others have to say to shape one’s own opinion allows for the constant development of one’s personality.
“It is important to stand by what you believe,” junior Natalie Slather said. “I try my best to express my opinion and defend others.”
While listening to the opinions with an open-mind is a fundamental part of humanity, being willing and able to defend yourself and others is incredibly important as well. The ability to protect your views is a foundational part of self-expression.
“Sometimes I try to level with them, but if they’re blatantly wrong I try to show them why they’re wrong,” freshman Derek Nelson said. “I’d like to say I’m level headed.”
Being able to explain one’s opinion in an understanding and calm manner is a key part of growing up. Self-expression cannot be done without the acceptance and open-ears required of others.
Helping Others Find Their Voice
Sometimes it is difficult to stand up for oneself and express one’s true emotions. People tend to overthink when it comes to conveying their own opinions. Helping others overcome this fear of public humiliation can be empowering.
“People love you for who you really are,” Alahmad said. “Don’t be afraid to show them that.”
People are always concerned about how they reveal themselves, so reminding friends, family and others at school that everyone else also struggles with individualism can really lift a weight off of one’s shoulders.
“Try not to care, no one really cares as much as you think they do,” Oosterhoff said. “You’re your biggest critic.”
The loss of fear about rejection is one of the most important aspects of growing into the young adults that students are working to become. Being able to recognize that others are more focused on themselves can allow for growth without fear, which is the cause of an exponential personal maturation.
“Be true to yourself,” math teacher Erin Rawls said. “Be who you are and embrace it.”
Even adults realize the struggle teenagers go through during this time of self-discovery. It can be difficult to watch kids try to find themselves, especially when all one can do is try to give advice and hope they listen.
Learning who one is as a person is a priceless experience that allows for the recognition of one’s true self, alongside the acceptance of future plans. This time of introspection and discovery will ultimately shape lives, as the experiences that take place now allow for future doctors, presidents and important future historical figures to discover the meaning of their life.
