It was the late ‘90s, and Friends was all the rage. Every girl I knew wanted “The Rachel”—Jennifer Aniston’s iconic layered haircut. I was no exception. I brought a magazine photo to my stylist and said, “Make me look like her.”

The stylist nodded confidently and got to work. Two hours later, I left the salon feeling like a superstar. But the next morning, reality hit. My hair was a frizzy, unmanageable mess. No matter how much I styled it, it never looked like Rachel’s.

I spent months trying to tame my hair, but it was a losing battle. Eventually, I gave up and chopped it all off into a pixie cut. Surprisingly, I loved it! It was nothing like Rachel’s hair, but it was uniquely me.

That haircut taught me an important lesson: sometimes, it’s better to embrace your own style than to chase someone else’s.