Upon hearing Lady Gaga’s newest song, “Born This Way,” it really got me thinking.
As much of a weirdo as Lady Gaga is, she may be onto something. She dresses in the strangest fashions, wears costume-crazy makeup and shows up to award shows in plastic eggs wearing an oxygen mask and considers that an acceptable entrance.
But what does it all really mean? What is the message behind the crazy, outlandish behavior?
Love who are and don’t change it for anyone.
Her newest song packs a powerful punch not only as the anthem for those who are picked on and mistreated for being different, but also for those who are questioning their true colors.
What about the rest of us who act normal, but hide their insecurities by blending in?
The point is, this song applies to everyone. If Lady Gaga can be herself (as weird as that is), what is keeping you from living your dreams and being the person you were meant to be?
“There’s nothin’ wrong with lovin’ who you are.”
As college students, many of you will go through several transitions during the journey of discovering who you are.
There will always be people who try to bring you down and make you feel bad about yourself, but in the end, the only opinion that should matter is the one you hold of yourself.
Instead of trying to hide your flaws or the parts of your personality that you think others will find strange, odd or unacceptable, STOP. It may seem easier to try and blend in (especially in high school and college), but you will learn that there really is nothin’ wrong with lovin’ who you are.
No matter who you are, there are always people out there who will understand and love you for the person you really are. You don’t need to become an idealized version of yourself or try to take on the traits of someone who you deem more acceptable. Instead of focusing on how you can change, focus on being the best YOU!
How to love who you are:
Make a top 10 list of all the reasons why you love yourself. List the reasons why you are unique and why that makes you awesome. Make note of what you are good at and all of the successes in your life.
You don’t have to win a bunch of awards to be successful, either; do you have a great group of friends? Ever been in a great relationship? Aced an exam? Every single positive thing in your life is a success and you should OWN each one.
“Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set.”
We all make mistakes, especially in college, but also in life. Making choices and decisions is the only way you will learn what to do, what not to do and what works best for YOU.
If you have made mistakes in your past (whether you failed a class or slept with someone you regret), you shouldn’t dwell on them; learn from your mistakes, move on and continue to respect and love yourself.
How to move past regret:
Make a list of your mistakes and write down what you learned from each one. Make a note of how each experience has shaped who you are and helped you to avoid making those same mistakes now and in your future.
Once you write down all of the positives of your mistakes, cross off the mistakes from your list and leave them on the paper forever.
“I must be myself, respect my youth.”
Remember that by focusing on developing the person you were meant to be, you cannot go wrong.
If you are good at art, stick to the art department, art internships, friends in the art program, etc, and you will find yourself loving who you are when you are successful in a field that you love and are passionate about. By being around the things you love, you will inevitably attract those with the same personality type and interests.
If you surround yourself with a group you don’t belong in and try to become something you are not, you will only end up pleasing others, but not yourself.
Be true to who you are and you will be on the right track to finding happiness and success in your life. If you fill your life with love and passion, but focus that love and passion on yourself, you will find yourself saying:
The song says all the right things but it only reaches the same people. These are some ways I’ve thought of to improve it. https://bit.ly/fCMoX2 Love your article by the way.
Great blog/article on your end, too! Thank you for reading Rob, but I agree, I think the song is heard by her most intense followers (and perhaps it is directly spoken to them), but in a way, I think it really does apply to all of us, whether we blend in our stick out.