The importance of authenticity
written by Vanessa Herrera Santiago, an ellement collective™ teen intern & founding member
Have you ever felt like you don't belong anywhere? That no matter what you do or say, you just feel like no one understands you? Well, first of all let me tell you that if you have felt like that, don’t worry because you’re not the only one. I can only speak from personal experience, but I am sure that there are many teenagers who have also struggled with this problem because we are at the age where we believe that the world is against us and that there is nothing to do about it except adapt to what the society wants you to be. To explain better the topic of today, which is the importance of authenticity in teenage girls, I would like to start by telling you a personal story.
When I entered high school, I felt a lot of social pressure to fit in. I was just too different from the rest of the students and therefore had a hard time adapting to the school environment. While most of the students were commonly at parties and social gatherings, I was usually at home studying and learning new things. I always felt that it would benefit my future self more if I used my time wisely to improve personally and professionally rather than doing normal teenage stuff. In other words, I was and still am a nerd, but I wouldn’t change this amazing quality for anything in the world, not even for being “normal”, because that’s precisely what makes me unique. And just like I consider my nerdish personality my unique differentiator, among other things as well, I can tell you that there’s something within yourself that no one else has, and whether you know it or not, it is what makes you authentic.
I know that this last year hasn’t been easy due to all the new problems that arose from the pandemic, especially being stuck at home, but once again from personal experience I can tell you that you can see everything with two perspectives, with a pessimist one or with an optimistic one. Last summer I decided that I was going to use my full potential to learn as many things as I could during the lockdown. I started attending webinars, entrepreneurship competitions, special talks with professionals and so much more until I applied to an internship program and got accepted. This made me realize that it was my decision to stay true to myself and do what many would call “boring stuff”, such as learning and studying, since it is what makes me who I am and more importantly, it makes me really really happy. I understood that I enjoyed doing things that most teenagers wouldn’t do even if they got paid, and that opened up my eyes because I realized just how special I am. The best part is that these past few months I started finding friends and communities that not only understood who I am, but also valued it by giving me opportunities to become a more equipable teenage girl in today’s society.
“This is why I am currently a Founding member and intern at Ellement Collective, since here I can be myself and help other teenage girls to accept and embrace their authenticity.”
Embracing authenticity
Every time I wear my Ellement Collective t-shirt, I feel connected to my elements
I’m sure that just like me, you have faced a similar situation in your life where everybody expects you to be like everyone else but you simply don’t want to, and you shouldn’t because being normal is overrated. I know that this is one of those things in life that “it’s easier to say than to do” but believe me that it is worth it. I’m not saying that it’s an easy process or that it can be done from one day to the other. It took me almost 18 years to fully accept, value and embrace completely my own authenticity and although I wished I had done it sooner,I realize that since I had no one to tell me what I am telling you at the moment, I was more likely to make this discovery many years from now. What I mean by this is that I consider being able to develop this authenticity-focused mindset on my own is an achievement that no one else values. I do not need anyone to congratulate me because for many it is not an important thing, but what I really want is to spread this message to those teenage girls who feel identified with me.
“The best part of being authentic is that you decide what, when, how, and with who, to do anything you want.”
Now that I’m almost 19 years old, and I remember my early teenage years, I understand that I faced many personal-identity crises where I doubted who I was so many times until the point I wished I could just be normal. Nevertheless, I’m proud of not giving up and instead decided to break the common stereotypes that rule the society nowadays.
You can decide to be authentic and if you do so, I promise you that you won’t regret it. We can build a community where every teenage girl doesn’t have to feel the need to change who they are just to fit in, but rather feel like they are unique just the way they are. We can do this, starting you and me, because small changes are what make a real difference.
“Let’s embrace authenticity, one step at a time.”
Vanessa Herrera Santiago
{ellement collective™ teen intern & founding member}
I am Vanessa, I am 19 years old and I live in Monterrey, Mexico. I love being a Girl Guide and I am passionate about learning and developing professionally. My goal is to make a significant difference in the world through social actions.
