Remember what cool meant when you were young? Like elementary school age. Things were cool because you thought they were cool, and that was cool enough. Young, honest wholesome kids, learning about the world before being influenced by the media and other older kids.

How do we get back to that? How do we brush off the fear of what others think and just like what we like because WE like it? It seems simple enough.

I have always been an adaptor, changing to be more like the people I surround myself with. I don’t think that is a completely bad trait, but I wish I was less like that. My idea of being cool has always been skewed by my friends or outside people. I think this partially stems from the feeling of always wanting to fit in. I changed schools quite a bit when I was young and being the new kid isn’t always easy. Instead of being fully myself, I just wanted to quickly find a group of friends and fit in.

This even followed me into adulthood. It wasn’t too long ago I was hanging out with a new group of friends pretty often, and the things I thought were cool and important to me, like writing this blog, fashion, Instagram, and writing in general, I know they did not think was cool. So I tried to hide it, and in doing so, pretty much stopped writing this blog. To be honest, it has been hard to get back in the groove of it, but I really want to.

I want to be cool again by being myself, not by the definition of those around me, social media or anything else. So often I see people being their own genuine self and I feel envy (in a good way). I think they are cool for being themselves, so why can’t I do that for myself?

This is something I have been thinking a lot about this new year, the year I want to be about change. I have found trying to navigate this issue of being cool has given me more compassion (for lack of a better word) for others. It makes me think twice in a situation where I would judge someone, or when you’re with people who are making fun of someone else.

So here I stand. Hi, I am Brittany and I like to blog, post photos of cute outfits, obsessed with Harry Potter and Marvel movies, prefer to stay in and read or watch a movie instead of party, not really a fan of drinking anymore, and yes I like to take and post photos of my cute coffees. These things are cool to me.

So let’s give everyone some grace and appreciate the uniqueness in this world, instead of judging people for not being like ourselves. Let’s be cool again.