By Caroline Jenkins, Staff Writer

Walking down the hallway, I am insecure of my nose, my acne, my eyebrows. Little things that are instantly magnified by looking at the faces of others. This strain of insecurity is a burden — dragging and pulling me down with each new step.

Coping with insecurity is arduous. Snarky comments here and there feel like punches to the gut that I will never recover from. We as teenagers are moldable; we are just finding out who we are. We are just realizing what it means to be a leader, a good student, a kind person. We are striving for greatness while also being weighed down by insults.

We are students caught in a “coming of age” time. A time to celebrate our youth. But how can I celebrate when I feel choked by the self-doubt consuming me? I question my appearance, my handwriting, my voice, my clothes. I’m impressionable – the smallest of insults can be detrimental and send me spiraling into abjection.

We crave to fit in and be like everyone else; this warped idea of what it means to be normal plays on a constant loop in our minds. But what sets us apart from everyone else – that’s what we should really be searching for. It’s those things that make us special, rare, uncommon, exceptional, extraordinary. We should be searching for all those little things within – those talents, hidden abilities, things we foolishly deem “too weird.” Those are the things that give us the strength to break the chains of social norms and suffocating standards. They give us the strength to breathe without the burden of belonging.

We all find ourselves grappling with self acceptance, searching for an answer to all our issues and someone to help guide us through our sea of doubt. Yet, without accepting who we are first, we may never be able to accept those around us for who they are. It’s difficult to forget the harsh words of others and shed the blanket of insecurity, but this is imperative to growing into our true selves.

There is no easy answer or solution to accepting yourself. It’s something that comes with time and growth. We try to figure out who we are while also coping with the things that we dislike about ourselves.

To embrace your flaws means to be completely and wholly yourself. You are so much more than the demeaning comments of another person.

I am myself and I am proud of that, and you should be, too.

Junior Caroline Jenkins can be reached at jenkinsca0616@daretolearn.org.