I’ve been living on my own since May when I was working two jobs over the summer.

Before then, I had been surrounded by friends and family constantly or at least my old roommate, JD, who doesn’t really fit into either category.

Although I would never have admitted it, I was a bit of a social chameleon in those days. Only a purely Owensboro scale, when I went to hang out with the guys that graduated from DCHS I’d act totally different then when I was hanging out with The Dude. That doesn’t even include who I became when I was hanging with the friends from racerband, the MSUR crew, or simply talking to quasi-estranged friends online.

Now I’m still varying my behavior relative to the groups of people I’m communicating with, but far it is from becoming another person altogether.

How did I jump this hurdle? Living by myself. I’ve learned a lot about who I want to be, and who I don’t want to be throughout high school and college. Living by yourself gives you a chance to start shaping that person you want to become by getting to know the “real” you, and how you react to situations.

Sometimes you forget that you’re actually a thoughtful person because you’ve spent all of your energy into being an insecure jerk.

So instead of attention-whoring yourself out with whatever cries for help you may have, get away from everyone that you’re trying to impress. Try to impress yourself.