These beliefs I have outgrown:

Amazing friendships 

Prior to establishing who I was as a person, I believed that the opinions others had of me was as important as the opinion I had of myself. You could call this middle school in general, but I actually cared more about how I was perceived than how I felt about myself. Thankfully, I have outgrown the belief that the perception of others matters more than your own self perception. I have grown into the type of person who is completely comfortable with myself and if people do not like me for who I am, then they are probably not one of my close friends. Pleasing people in hopes that they will accept you more easily is another belief that I have outgrown, thankfully.  I know live my life for the Lord and it is Him who I want to please, rather than my peers. The beliefs that I held onto prior to high school seriously hindered me from letting my realness show, and I actually molded myself to fit the personalities of those who were around me. If I still held onto this belief I would not be experience the amazing life and bold friendships that I now have. I probably would not have accomplished as much as I have if I still cared about what people thought of me. Thankfully, I have been able to mature and grow out of my past beliefs. I now believe that in everything I do, I must show my real colors to be successful and have people respect me as I respect myself.