To the girl reading this,

I know who you are. I was you once upon a time. I still am you from time to time. You’re insecure, you don’t feel comfortable in your skin, you stare at yourself in the mirror for what seems like forever, nitpicking every little thing you find wrong. You wonder what is going to happen in the future. Who are you going to marry? When are you going to have children? What are they going to look like? Will you keep your friends from high school? Have a great career by the time you’re 25? Will I ever get rid of these love handles? I have too many freckles.

STOP!

Stop listening to the voices in your head. Stop scrolling on Instagram and crying over the fact that you’re not as beautiful as those girls. Or you’re not as skinny as those girls. Cause reality is, they probably aren’t happy either. Or they have people telling them what to eat and when to eat and a makeup team, making sure they are beautiful and flawless from every angle.

It’s not real. It’s not authentic. Real life is flaws. Real beauty is flaws. And you are beautiful.

A couple months back, I was feeling kind of down on myself, I started criticizing everything about myself, even though I had people telling me I was beautiful. So, one night, I wrote down 10 things that woman need to be reminded of, and I read it once a week, sometimes more.

1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over.

2. When someone tells you that you're beautiful, believe them. They aren't lying.

3. Sometimes, we all wake up with breath that could kill a goat.

4. For every woman unhappy with her stretch marks, is another woman who wishes she had them.

5. You should definitely have more confidence. And if you saw yourself the way others see you, you would.

6. Don't look for a man to save you. Be able to save yourself.

7. It's okay to not love every part of your body, but you should.

8. We all have that one friend who seems to have it all together. That woman with the seemingly perfect life. Well, you might be that woman to someone else.

9. You should be a priority. Not an option, a last resort, or a backup plan.

10. You're a woman. That alone makes you pretty remarkable.

If this is you, save this article. Take a screenshot. Write these facts on sticky notes and put them on your mirror or around your room. When you look in the mirror, find things you love about yourself and say them out loud. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people. Stand tall and be proud of who you are. Get yourself an anthem, a girl-power song that just gets you pumped up and ready to go for the day.

You are beautiful. You are confident. You are a priority. You are worth it.