Let’s be honest: there are times when we compare ourselves to other people. Whether those people are celebrities or random people we see on the street, the comparisons enter our minds. Trust me, I’d be lying if I told you I’ve never compared myself to anybody else.

The problem is that I was doing it too often.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying there’s a problem with admiring other people for their looks, skills or anything else. I just used to let it get in my head too often and let those comparisons make me feel like I was somehow less than the people I was comparing myself to.

When I first came here to Quinnipiac, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. Like many other students, I had never lived away from home before. But for me, it was especially nerve wracking. If you ask me to describe myself, I’d tell you I’m a little bit shy. That is, until you get to know me. That’s when you can’t shut me up. But being shy doesn’t exactly make it easy to find friends, which was my primary concern when I first set foot on campus.

As a freshman, I remember sitting in the backseat of my parents’ car as we pulled up to Dana English Hall. thewatchmenshop I remember looking out the window at all the students filing up and down Bobcat Way. That’s when the comparisons started.

I saw a guy who had to be about 6-foot-3. I’m 5-foot-10. I suddenly felt bad about my height.

I continued to look around. The self-bashing session continued in my head.

Why can’t I be tall like that? Why am I not that outgoing? Why don’t I have a perfect beard?

This was nothing new to me, but the comparisons did begin to have a greater impact on my life. Growing up, I’d never compared myself to others as frequently as I did when I got to Quinnipiac. That’s because of what I like to call “safety net groups.”

As we grow up, we all have our groups of friends we hang out with. Often times, labels are put upon those groups.

Let me explain.omega replica watches

The best way I can describe this would be to revisit my middle school days. You had the popular kids, the quiet kids, the athletes, the mathletes and so on.

My point is that we all, at some point in our lives, have probably been put into these groups. Whatever you had in common with others put you into some kind of group.

Those groups were a safety net. Personally, I’ve always had my few close friends I’ve felt comfortable around. I always knew that I could be myself around them and not be judged for it. That was my safety net.

However, once I went away to college, I left that safety net. Of course, I still remain extremely close with these friends. In fact, they’re like family to me, and always will be. It was just a matter of me physically moving away from my safety net.

As I mentioned before, I was concerned about finding that new safety net here at Quinnipiac. Luckily for me, I did. Like my friends from home, my friends here are basically family to breitling transocean replica me. Despite this, I still continued to critique myself. In fact, for the better part of my first year and a half here, I simply felt like I didn’t fit in.

What comes to mind when people think of your average college student? I can tell you from personal experience, it sure isn’t me they’re thinking of.

Whenever I’m not here and I happen to meet another college student, our discussions always lead to what we do at our respective schools. Those conversations always end up leading to the craziest stories everyone has from their college experiences. And then we get to me.

Nothing.

Then come the strange looks.

Then I feel like a foreign species.

I start to question myself. What’s wrong with me? Why am I different than everybody else?

I can’t even figure out a way to explain that I like to spend my free time reading, writing, doing anything outside or dancing around my suite (occasionally while being recorded). I figure that isn’t what people want to hear, so why even bother explaining?

Feeling out of touch is nothing unusual to me. I feel out of the loop all the time when I hear discussions between students before class.

I’ve never been to Toad’s. I know little to nothing about hockey. I’ve never watched an episode of “Game of Thrones.”

I know… I’m a little different.

I used to let this bother me. I wanted badly to feel like I fit in. It bothered me so much my freshman year that I wanted to leave Quinnipiac.

I’ve always liked to think of my life as a journey. There are different events and people that come along the way to help shape my journey and who I am as a person, and there are countless lessons I learn every day.

Now, in my junior year, I can finally look back and appreciate the greatest lesson I’ve ever learned along my journey: That the only person I ever have to fit in with is myself.

I’m not one to judge people’s personal lives. Just because you act differently than me doesn’t mean either one of us is living life the correct or incorrect way. That’s the way I see it.

Do your thing, whatever that thing may be.

I’ve never felt as internally broken as I did my freshman year. I felt anxious all day and night because I felt I didn’t belong here. Now, I couldn’t be happier. I feel extremely content and confident being the person I am. This isn’t just about me, either. We should all be happy and feel confident about who we are, and that’s exactly why I decided to write this.

I’m glad I’ve been able to discover the idea that happiness is what you enjoy, not what others want you to. There’s no certain way we have to live to be happy; it’s all about what works for you. After all, we’re all unique human beings, and I think that’s a great thing.

Written inside the cover of my notebook is my favorite quote, spoken by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

This quote means so much to me personally, and explains exactly the message I’d like to convey.

Embrace your life.breitling bentley 6.75 replica Do what makes you happy. Never be embarrassed to be different. The only person you should ever have to fit in with is yourself.