Everyone is familiar with the story of the stubborn family member, the ignorant coworker or the obnoxious neighbor. Many of these personalities are a product of their beliefs and how they were raised. It leaves many people to wonder, “Is it too late for these people to change?”

Author Theodor Seuss Geisel, or most commonly known as Dr. Seuss, once wrote, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” I believe this perfectly describes how it is possible for individuals to experience change as long as they make an effort to change.

I am a big believer that there is never a time in one’s life when they cannot improve their mindset. Growing up, I faced a number of situations that caused me to develop anxiety. I was not always the most confident person in the world as I often obsessed over unimportant issues that I felt needed to be stressed over. These included small things such as using the same public restroom with students who did not share the same ethnicity as me and worrying about whether or not I could sit next to a group of people at lunch break who did not have the same skin color. It took time for me to develop more self-confidence. Yet, the more I accustomed myself to the same people that I was too scared to interact with before, the more I realized that I could learn to be myself and become close friends with those same people I feared.

Change is not limited to a certain age group as there is never a time that someone cannot alter their thinking. In addition to getting used to living in a different culture, my family and friends also had to adapt to my beliefs often. Being raised in a country I was not born in was not the easiest thing in the world for me. I was brought up in a small town called Des Allemands where most of the people have their set of traditional values and beliefs and are very close-minded. My mom and dad, who were each already in their 50s, especially had to adjust with the things people said and how they acted around me that might have been different from the behavior they acted upon while growing up themselves. Luckily, many of my friends and family realized that I was too important to let old-fashioned values get in the way of accepting me for who I am.

Sometimes it may take a major event in order for people to realize that they want to see a change in their lives. There are numerous life-altering stories that cause individuals to take that first step to enact change. 54-year-old Scott Schmaren of Saint Charles, Illinois dealt with obesity and depression throughout his life. One day, he realized if he kept living how he was, he would have an early death. His decision to initiate a change improved his health, allowing him to lose 180 pounds. This caused him to leave his real estate career entirely and focus on improving others’ lives by becoming a hypnotist and a public speaker. The first step is always the most vital one for forging new paths, and when people finally reach that point, positive results will follow.

While I do believe that anyone at any point can change for the better, it is important to understand that change does not just happen easily. The process takes time, and the individuals who want to make a change in their lives must first want to make the effort to do so. Also, more importantly, when I say effort, I do not mean just giving 50%. People must be fully committed to make a difference in their lifestyle and stick with their decision. What separates my friends from the rest of society is that they were willing to learn and change. Thus, anything is possible if people just believe in themselves to make a change.

What would you like to hear more on KSLU?

“Sports. I would like to hear more sports because I am a sports fan, and I like to hear it on the radio.”

“I just want their presence to be more known. It’s an award-winning radio station, but not many students even know it’s there.”

“Grunge or like ‘90s music, maybe even just a mix of more styles because college people like a variety of music to listen to.”

“More energy music and less country songs. It doesn’t always have to be the top artist playing.”

“More fast-pace music and pop songs would be nice to hear.”

“I think what they play is honestly good. They play songs that I like to hear. Most people do not expand outside of the typical genres, so they should listen to KSLU for new things.”

“I would like to hear more rock songs and indie folk because it is more heartfelt and nice to hear.”

“Well, I would say a better mixture of songs because every time I turn it on, it’s songs that I don’t really know, so if they could mix old hits and new hits.”

“I would like to hear more student, opinion-based topics discussed.”

“I think they should play more classic rock because it is a good genre.”

“I don’t really know. I don’t have a problem with it. I listen to sports, so I don’t really listen to the music. There’s so many interesting things on there. If I had more time, I would like to listen to the talks and music.”

“That’s a hard question because it is a mixture of everything, so I would like to hear more of Joe Burns.”