Famous basketball coach John Wooden once said, ?Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.?

Throughout life we often allow peer pressure to overpower our good conscience. We make enormous efforts to gain acceptance from peers and soon find ourselves letting down the guard to our moral standards.

By choosing to associate with what would be considered the “bad crowd,” we begin to corrupt our character and therefore lose our individuality. We are being forced to conform to the ethics of others, and after a while, we begin to lose our sense of self.

Many students say they are influenced by the poor decisions of the people they choose to spend time with. Their excuse for not finding new friends is to keep the relationships they already have, but the more you hang around a group of people, the easier it is to follow in their footsteps. Even if you believe you are trying to influence them to do good, chances are their bad choices will affect you first.

I’m not saying that we should isolate ourselves from those who do wrong or are socially unacceptable, because we are called to love everyone no matter what they have done or said. We should instead set boundaries for ourselves to be involved in their lives, but draw the line when their actions impose on our morals and beliefs.

Everyone of us is unique and has a gift to offer this world we live in. Don’t let the will of others change you and cause you to stray from the purpose you have to fulfill.

For more letters, read the Dec. 1 submission, LETTER: A call to service.