I am an indecisive person.

Because of this, I am often influenced by others’ opinions, especially those older or more prominent than me. I also tend to follow or copy choices that they make. That is why I believe in not letting others choose how I live my life.

I feel like my older brother has been a big role in how I make decisions. Since we are similar in age than any of my other siblings, and we grew up together, we are very close. He is my cool older brother, so I look up to him, want to be like him, and seek him for advice.

I remember when I was in elementary school, my older brother and I both had GameBoys and were both playing Pokémon. I had just started my game and was at the point where I  had to pick a starter Pokémon. He had chosen Charmander, a fire Pokémon. I couldn’t decide because there were pros and cons to each of them, so I decided to ask him. He had been playing before me, so he was more experienced. He told me to pick whichever one I wanted. Being the little sister with less experience, I copied him.

My freshman year of high school, I took all of the same classes as my older brother and even had some of the same teachers. I was still following his example. Then I made the decision to tryout for the soccer team and audition for a more advanced choir. When I was accepted for both of these, I became aware of how I made these decisions on my own, without asking for other's opinions. This started me on my journey of branching out and exploring my different interests and making new friends.

Now, because I realize that I still tend to copy my older brother, I make an effort not to repeat or imitate his actions. This year I decided to take classes that he hadn’t taken, like an a Twentieth Century Literature class. In this class, I have been introduced to different styles of writing and new authors, like Chinua Achebe, which my brother was unfamiliar with. Also, even though he and I are both interested in becoming physical therapists, I want to go to a different college than the one he attends.

One thing I have learned over the years is that I am my own person. I have my own opinions and I should be able to make my own decisions without being concerned with what others will think. It’s important that I branch out and try things I am unfamiliar with because I can discover more about myself and what I enjoy or excel at.

I believe in carving my own path through life, one that’s unique- with different divots and changes of direction along the way.