【 作 者 】Sophia Ma, Needham High School Grade 9
I’ve always been the perfectionist. The girl with good grades. Who could draw well, or play the flute well. 
Even from my friends, especially my friends, I hear things like “of course Sophia got that grade,” or “she’s a perfectionist.” 
Up until this year, I’ve embraced my role, my reputation, of being that person. That someone who never settled for less than the epitome of perfection. 
Now, though, throughout my experience at school and at home I’ve been thinking about if I really am so black and white, like a cardboard cutout of a person. 
What if the person I actually am is someone who wants to step outside of the box, outside of the frame that I am thought to fit in?
I have discovered that who I really am isn’t that girl who follows all the rules. I found my inner leadership, my ideals and beliefs that may oppose the norm. 
I found a new side of myself this year that doesn’t care whether the choice I make is the perfect one. I’ve decided to take risks and ignore the boundaries of the “perfect student”. So many people are infatuated with the perception of doing everything perfectly. This yearning for what is thought to be ideal distracts people from who they actually are.
I have come to a conclusion that sometimes I feel trapped by how other people think of me.
It’s like I can’t go out and do things that I want to do, for fear of damaging my fixed reputation. This is exactly what confines me into a small, compact, box labeled “perfect”. 
Even the word “perfect” no longer has a meaning for me. People see it as something far in the distance, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 
What if I told you that no such treasure exists? 
What if you are all chasing something that isn’t really there? 
If we took all the time we’ve spent bent upon doing everything right, we should consider that maybe that time could have been better spent uncovering our inner ideals and thoughts. 
Who are we as people? What do we, as individuals, value most in life?
Sometimes breaking free of the restraints placed by reputation and a false sense of having to be flawless is what is necessary to move forward in life. 
It’s true, you could easily succeed in high school by keeping your sole focus on doing everything immaculately. 
With goals such as getting good grades or making varsity in a sport, you would do fine in high school. 
Putting in the effort to reach these goals is essential to success before and after you graduate.
 But also consider the broader perspective, the world beyond high school.
To succeed in life, the best way to be happy is to do what you are passionate in, not to be perfect at something that would benefit you most in regard to things like money. 
If we start early, and discover what we truly believe in, want, and love, we will have a better awareness of ourselves as we move through life. 

【公众号编辑】昨夜风
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