Jan 21 - Reflect on a time when you or someone you know had to choose between fitting in and staying true to their identity; what was gained or lost in that experience?

Response: Recently, I came to the realization that I have never really been living my true self when I am around people, even those who are closest to me. I realized that with every interaction I had with someone, I would try to put up this facade for them so they would see me in this "perfect light" in their eyes. Similar to a prompt I wrote about involving mirrors, I feel like the physical and social aspects of my being don't match up with who I am on the inside at all. To try and make sense of this, I came to the conclusion that the only reason I can hide that true side of myself is that I can hide it behind my physical and social appearance to others. The first impression that someone has of you is your looks, and I feel like my physical looks and social aspects match up pretty well, but is that who I am on the inside? This thought obviously upset me in a way, and I could only think, "How can I show who I truly am to other people?" Then I realized what my problem was. If I could change my physical appearance to match what is on the inside, then maybe I would feel like I am staying true to my identity. Through this realization, I gained the importance of self-worth and identity, and I am going to try to live as honestly as possible without the fear of people getting upset about who I am on the inside, even if it means I'll lose some friends along the way.

Summary: Today, we started working on our project for Chapter 6 of Wild.

Reflection: If you don't stay true to yourself in your life, the people around you will only know the person you want them to know. It's important to be who you are, and the people who will stick with you, even after you show your true colors, are the ones who will be with you for life.

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