Anvita P.
If you’re reading this, you deserve to feel confident in yourself.
“Confidence is key!” all the time throughout childhood, before every interview, audition, presentation, speech, tryout, etc. However, it wasn’t until I got to college that I started to realize the true meaning of confidence and feel it myself. It took me a long time to learn that confidence isn’t reserved for a select group of people, but rather, it’s something that everybody deserves to feel. It’s the acknowledgment and celebration of what makes you uniquely you. I used to think that people who looked a certain way or achieved a certain milestone were the only ones who deserved to feel confident. I would tell myself that I’d be more confident once I looked a certain way, got the grade,award, or whatever seemingly life-changing achievement I attached my self-worth to and thought I needed in order to feel deserving of confidence - whether it was admission to a certain college, a solo at my choir concert, or a certain SAT score. Even when I got to Clemson, I felt like I could only feel proud of myself once I’d achieved a certain GPA, leadership position, or award. But after three transformative years of personal growth, I’ve realized those things are just the cherry on top of an already rich and sweet bowl of ice cream. Although it took some time, I learned not to tie my self-worth and self-confidence, two things I have always considered my best and most important traits, to my achievements, but rather to who I am as a person: someone who perseveres, and believes in and uplifts herself and others.
We live in a world that constantly tries to tell us we’re not good enough in some way shape or form, and that perfection is a prerequisite for confidence. It’s easy to compare ourselves to everyone around us and everyone we see on the internet and to think about where we fall short in comparison to them. I'm guilty of it myself. But the real beauty of humanity lies in the fact that each of us is different and brings different backgrounds, perspectives, cultures, shapes, sizes, beliefs, thoughts, and lived experiences to the table. It lies in our imperfections, which make us unique people. I always think about how boring the world would be if we all looked, talked, walked, and acted the same. It’s that vivid imagination that helped it click for me: I deserve to feel confident in myself simply because of who I am, and that is something everybody deserves to feel! We are all unique and special in our own different ways, and comparison truly is the thief of joy. Think about every challenge you’ve faced and every obstacle you’ve conquered. It’s a testament to your resilience! It took some time and a lot of introspection to realize that another’s success, beauty, or joy does not take away from my own, and often, we are trained from a young age to believe it does. But if we start teaching our minds to put our own self-confidence above all else from the beginning, the sky’s the limit. I truly believe that everyone has something special to give to the world. Owning and recognizing that individuality is half the task, and one of the best parts of feeling confident in yourself is that it’s contagious! By uplifting yourself, you uplift others. Because of this, I’ve learned so much about myself from the people I surround myself with, which is a testament to the Clemson Family, and my Clemson Family.
So if there’s one thing I want you to take away from this letter, it’s that you are deserving of love, respect, success, and confidence, simply because of who you are. You have what it takes within you to get where you want to be, so lean on the people who matter to you, take chances on yourself, and celebrate it all along the way. I promise it’ll be worth it.
Anvita P., Clemson University
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