As a species of individuals who crave the attention and verification of others, there are so

many times we ask ourselves; Will this be okay with others? or Will this be liked?. We spend
so much time wondering what others think of us, and this takes a toll on our emotional, mental,
spiritual, and physical well-being. To constantly worry about what others think of us is to
constantly deny ourselves the ability to take complete charge of what it is that we dream of,
strive after, and aspire to be. When a parent or relative, friend, co-worker, peer, or someone we
are specifically attached to in some way gives us negative feedback on something, it can be a
huge setback! However, there are ways to combat this; ways which can allow us to continue to
move forward despite a negative adversary. It isnt simple. However, it is something that can be
practiced and learned over time, and will lead to a better state of mental, physical, emotional, and
spiritual well-being. This answer is called self-actualization, and this leads to finding true
happiness within yourself.
Im sure that nearly everybody has experienced a moment of insecurity, doubt, selfconsciousness, or loathing over the course of their life. Maybe you dont want to present in front
of the classroom because you fear that you will mess up. Or, maybe you decided to change your
clothes last minute before going out because you worry that you dont look nice, despite loving
what you had on. These are some smaller examples of crisis situations that can cause discomfort
and have consequences to follow. Sure, you changed and are wearing something that still looks
nice, but what made you change in the first place? You may be afraid of getting up there and
presenting, but everybody else has to do it too! So what makes this an issue? Well, it seems to
come down to self-doubt. Self-doubt can serve a purpose, like if you are in a risky situation and
doubt the action at hand being beneficial. However, it can also be caused by nothing more than
worrying about what others will say/think about you in a time where this will only lessen the

depth and fulfilment out of a situation. You wanted to wear something that you loved, but
changed instead because you felt others would mock your choice of style. The result? You are
dressing for what you think others would prefer. You will then spend the night not enjoying it to
the fullest, because you are not wearing what you really wanted to deep down. This is something
that I feel Chris McCandless had a problem with. He would go through the motions of going to
school, going home, and being a regular stick in the mud. He wanted to do something different
with his life, and he didnt care what anyone else thought (kind of). Another example: you are
worried about presenting when everyone else has to do it anyway. Now the situation is worse for
you because you have negative thoughts associated with your presentation. These are miniscule
forms of self-doubt which plague the mind on a very common basis for most people. They are
really toxic thoughts that poison attempts at doing what could deeply fulfil you with emotional
and spiritual satisfaction. The bad thoughts turn a situation from going the best it possibly could,
to being mediocre due to something else affecting the ability to be truly present in a situation and
live it to the fullest. That, is part of find true happiness within yourself and loving yourself
enough to do what will make you truly and deeply satisfied.
Although the issues presented in the previous paragraph state minor, non-debilitating
examples of self-doubt, they are still crucial to understanding the main point behind this
phenomenon. When an individual repeats a pattern for so long, they begin to live in the rut of
that behavior. So what if you took it to a more serious level? Say, a group of racist individuals
are yelling slurs at an individual of a different ethnicity. You are walking past them on the street,
and see that this individual is now crying and being torn down emotionally. For some, the fear of
confrontation would prevent them from acting. Some would chose to walk right past without
saying a word. But what if that group stopped you and asked you to join in? Would you do it out

of fear? Out of not realizing the potential there is to stop such cruel behavior? Maybe, or maybe
not. But what if there were others in that group who were not truly wanting to follow along, but
were in a more severe situation similar to that of yourself? They were afraid to say This is
wrong, we need to stop and make amends. But, you yourself were brave enough to stand up as
well when they werent. You speaking up could change that persons views and give them
courage to break away from the abusive group and join your side. Now, that minority group has
another member fighting to defend what they feel is right. The verbally abused individual knows
that though they just experienced something traumatic, there are still others who are on their side
and love them despite their unchangeable characteristics, and despite who they are. This is an
excellent example of the power of self-actualization; you no longer fear doing what you feel is
right. This will often yield wonderful results for yourself and others.
One of the big problems with society is our inability to go against the majority. We
blindly follow what is the most safe, guaranteed way to be at the top, no matter if it is verbal
abuse, ignorance, or even murder. We persecute others, sometimes without even knowing we are
doing it because we are so desensitized. In a generation of meaningless words, false promises
and degrading moral standards, it is very important to understand exactly what it is that we stand
for as people. This means digging as deep as possible, and truly knowing what is and is not a part
of what makes you the person you really are on the inside. When this is practiced, we can also
learn who others are on a deeper level as well. When we are no longer focused on the shallow,
empty aspect of existence, where things such as stereotypes and other ignorance live, we can
truly learn to make a change in what is wrong in the world. It all starts with us, all as individuals.
It is a tough thing to do, but is a challenge that I wish to make to myself, and to any other who
reads this. It is a challenge that Chris McCandless faced when he decided to make his journey.

Challenge yourself to be a better you, a pure you, and a happy you. By doing this you not only
benefit yourself, but also benefit everyone else who strives to do the same. This is of critical
importance, and hopefully can begin to spark a movement in which we all learn to be more kind,
gentle, merciful and loving towards each other as a whole. Again, while it is not easy, it is in my
opinion necessary to live a truly fulfilling life, or at very least being on the right track to
discovering who you are now, as well as who you want to be in years to come. It is also essential
to finding what is best for you, and what really matters in a world where materialism and shallow
behavior dominate our society. In order to make a change, it all starts with us.