Finding Strength in Criticism: A Journey of Growth and Self-Acceptance

 After finishing class 12, I moved into the hostel for college. I felt homesick and had trouble adjusting at first. I like wearing formal clothes and spending time improving myself, which made me feel different from others. I wasn’t very good at talking to people and often spoke in a funny way, not realizing it could be taken the wrong way.

At first, I met a senior who seemed like someone I could learn from. His advice made me feel more confident and helped me feel like I was on the right path. But over time, his guidance started to feel less like support and more like he was trying to shape me into someone else. It began to feel less like advice and more like an expectation to change.

I worked on improving myself—changing my tone, becoming more aware of my emotions, and trying to adapt. But even with all my efforts, some seniors still criticized me for things like my clothes, my learning style, and even my hairstyle. No matter what I did, it felt like I couldn’t escape their judgment. They also thought my silence meant I was afraid, and that made me feel uncomfortable.

One moment really stuck with me. After an event, I sat in my friend’s seat on the train without the ticket PDF from my seniors. A railway official questioned me, and I felt nervous. What really hurt, though, was when the man told one of the seniors that I wasn’t mentally well. That comment made me feel misunderstood and broke my heart.

Looking back, I realize that while the senior’s advice was tough at times, it helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect. In the beginning, I felt bad about myself because of the critiques. His feedback made me feel like I wasn’t good enough, and I struggled with it. But over time, I learned that everyone has their own opinions, and we are not born to make everyone think we are right. His words taught me something important: how to handle criticism and understand where I should value others’ opinions and where I don’t need to take things to heart.

I’ve learned that growth isn’t about becoming like someone else, but about staying true to who you are, even when faced with criticism. I hope that, in the future, we can all offer advice with kindness, knowing that everyone is on their own journey

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