“I just want to be someone, mean something to anyone, I want to be the real ME,” by Charlotte Eriksson. The quest of my journey is to discover my true purpose, my true purpose but most importantly, to find my true identity. This is known as the "identity-role confusion stage" or, as psychoanalyst Erik H. Erikson describes it, the fifth stage of the eight stages of man. This happens between the ages of 12 and 18, where everyone struggles to establish a certain role or skill that gives them a sense of having a solid foundation in adult society. I too am currently going through this stage of life, avoiding many obstacles to search for my identity. The most difficult obstacle - my attempt to fit in with my peers, but the extremes I went to to achieve it, may have scared me for life. Nonetheless, it showed me part of my true identity and helped me understand how to grow and improve; it showed me the real me. In society then and now, individuality is vital. Every teenager wants to create a unique identity, and the beginning of creating this identity happens in high school. Like any normal teenager, I was nervous the first day, mainly because my best friend had transferred to another school. I thought I wouldn't be able to make friends, and that's what happened. I was never fully able to “fit in”. My hair was never long enough; my body was never skinny enough, I was like a puzzle that never fit. But not only did I have to fit in with my peers, I also had to fit in at home into what I considered the perfect family. My father and mother were successful business tycoons, my two sisters were very popular and always maintained a perfect GPA and then there was me, struggling to even get a B+ in class...... middle of paper .. ....I also fixed it. Afterward, I realized that the only reason I resorted to drinking was because I wasn't happy with myself. I always compared myself to others and immediately found flaws in myself. I didn't realize that every person has flaws, but recognizing those flaws and learning from your mistakes is what creates everyone's identity. That day I started to accept myself as I am, others noticed it too, especially me. I didn't need to change my identity to try to fit in, I automatically did it. Trying to create an identity for yourself shouldn't mean hurting yourself in the process; it should only make you stronger. I don't worry that I haven't discovered my whole identity. As I get older, I'm sure the whole concept of who I really am will fall into place, but for now, I am Shikha Balani, confident, strong and proud of what has become my identity..