The Beauty of Perfect Imperfection
I’m sure we’ve all heard of the stereotype, ‘All Indians are smart’. Something that a lot of people, especially non-Indians, don’t realize is the struggle involved in trying to live up to the expectations that come along with being Indian. I grew up in Scotland for 9 years of my life and school there wasn’t solely based on academics. It was in fact more focused on art, learning, and just enjoying school in general, especially up until High School. When I moved to the US, it took awhile for me to get used to the curriculum they followed in school here and it didn’t help that all my classmates knew so much more than me. It was a tough time for sure, and I'm still struggling with battling my insecurities, but that’s why it’s important to know your own path.
Wanting to be successful due to your own personal desire versus being pressured into knowing everything or conforming to stereotypes are hard to distinguish between. Especially in quarantine, I'm sure the majority of high schoolers can relate to the fact that it's been a constant rollercoaster of good and bad days. Some days I felt like I could conquer the world, like I could do anything and everything. Other days, I just hit rock bottom. I felt like I completely lost sense of who I was because in this society we are constantly pressured to have a goal in life. The preferred goals could include getting into a great college, or getting a good score on the SAT, but personally, that goal feels like a distant train. I don't feel ready to think about the locomotive reaching the station of my future and that’s OK. It truly is normal to not have your whole life plan laid out in front of you. Life isn’t a race and everyone travels at their own pace. That's the beauty of being a teenager. You’re still figuring out who you are as a person and what you want to be in the future. It's hard for me to completely be myself and express my thoughts since I'm afraid I will be judged for them but then I realize...we are each gifted with a unique voice for a reason, why not use it.
One of my favorite sayings is “Perfect Imperfection”. It’s made me realize that perfection isn’t defined by comparison to your peers or a matter of your grades and accomplishments. We all make mistakes, both academically and as humans, and we can either have a pity party about our lives, or use it as fuel to become a better version of ourselves. It’s so incredibly easy in today's world to get sucked into a vacuum of peer pressure and academic animosity, especially being in a school full of Desi Americans who are hyper-focused on their GPAs, SAT scores, or their college-level AP’s. Don’t get me wrong, those are all beneficial areas of study to be invested in. However, to me, the most important facet of our lives as human beings, is mental health.
For me, I feel like the best version of myself when I do random acts of kindness, make someone’s day, and best of all, volunteering. I realized my stress and anxiety levels significantly decrease when I’m out in nature and also just generally when I engage in something creative or productive. For example, even just writing this article clears my mind and gives me a sense of well-being since I’m expressing my thoughts and letting others know that they are not alone. No matter how alone they’re feeling, it’s important for them to know that someone else is probably fighting the same battle. The mind is extremely powerful. It can have such an impact on your daily life, both positively and negatively. If we tell ourselves constantly that we are alone in our struggles our minds will start to believe it. Therefore, you’ll feel so much better if you talk to someone and vent to them, because they’ve probably experienced the same thing at some point as well.
No matter how many quotes you read or Ted talks you listen to, it’s still really hard to not get affected by what others say and think about you. I’ve grown up being taught that lesson many times over, but still to this day my thoughts are occasionally unhealthily influenced by others’ harsh comments. And what gets to me more than anything is the fact that I didn't have the courage to stand up to them at the time. It can be anything from race to looks or even personality, which eventually can lead to a loss of identity and self-esteem. However, before I let someone’s hurtful comments get to me, I think about my mom telling me, “All bullies want is to see you in misery, doubting yourself, that's how they gain their false sense of self-esteem. Don’t let that happen. Show them that, what they say can’t bring you down at any cost and remind them of what a truly strong personality looks like.”
““All bullies want is to see you in misery, doubting yourself, that’s how they gain their false sense of self-esteem. Don’t let that happen. Show them that, what they say can’t bring you down at any cost and remind them what a truly strong personality looks like.””
Don't be afraid to be YOURSELF and follow your own path in life. Have trust in your own beliefs, you will love yourself for it and others will love you for it. ♡
